Country’s Telecom Regulator Headless for Almost 2 Months

Country’s Telecom Regulator Headless for Almost 2 Months

As the government has not yet named a chairman for the nation's telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), it has been more than 50 days since the organization was given a top-level executive.

When his four-year term came to an end on January 2, 2023, Major General (Ret.) Amir Azeem Bajwa resigned from his position as chairman of PTA because the government refused to extend his contract longer.

The former chairman was apparently urged verbally by the Cabinet Division to work an additional three weeks, but he declined. The process for the new member's appointment has been started by the Cabinet Division; the Chairman will follow.

On January 10, 2023, just a few days after the previous chairman's four-year term ended, PTA Member (Compliance and Enforcement) Dr. Khawar Siddique 

Khokhar also quit his position. After learning that his request for a term extension from the federal government had been denied, he resigned from his position. 

Yet according to sources, Dr. Khawar's extension summary hasn't yet been accepted or refused.

Chairman PTA/Member (Technical) and Member (Compliance and Enforcement) are both open posts at the moment.

Farhatullah Babar, the leader of the Pakistan People's Party, challenged Mohammad Naveed's appointment in the Islamabad High Court, which led to controversy surrounding his reappointment as the Authority's lone remaining member.

According to sources, Mohammad Naveed, the only member of the Authority still alive, merely has the authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the authority. 

He does not possess the entire range of jurisdiction. Sources stated that the government has not yet appointed a representative to the position of PTA chairman.

They added that the Authority is incomplete without two members or the chairman and may run into problems if this situation persists for a long time.