JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Thursday declared Ata ul Haq Qasmi’s appointment as chairman of Pakistan Television (PTV) illegal.
The court had reserved the judgment on February 26.
A two-member bench comprising Justices Umar Ata Bandial and Yahya Afridi announced the verdict. It said the rules were not followed in the appointment of Ataul Haq Qasmi as Chairman PTV.
Qasmi, a veteran columnist, and poet was appointed the chairman of the state-run television in December 2015. He resigned in December 2017.
The Supreme Court verdict said: “Taking into account the lapses and illegal actions committed by Mr. Qasmi as a Director and the Chairman of PTV, Mr. Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Information, Mr. Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister and Mr. Fawad Hasan Fawad, Secretary to the PM, we hereby direct that the amount of Rs.197,867,491/- be recovered from them.”
The court ruled that all administrative orders passed by Qasmi as chairman were also illegal.
November 06, 2025: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s job offer to Nukta staff draws criticism as hundreds of journalists across Pakistan face layoffs, salary delays, and job insecurity.
November 06, 2025: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar announces jobs for 37 laid-off Nukta employees, saying they will be placed at digital platforms within 48 hours amid growing media uncertainty.
November 05, 2025: PTI’s Faisal Chaudhry’s witty reply to Gharidah Farooqi on GTV’s “G for Gharidah” goes viral as a clip from their debate over the 27th Amendment sparks reactions online.
November 05, 2025: Digital platform Nukta lays off 37 employees in Pakistan, including journalists and producers, highlighting the financial struggles facing new media ventures in a shrinking job market.
November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.
November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 05, 2025 The Pulitzer Center is offering global reporting grants for journalists worldwide, funding high-impact projects on underreported issues with rolling applications in 2025.
November 04, 2025 Journalist Rana Ayyub receives death threats over calls demanding a column on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as CPJ urges swift action to protect journalists in India.
November 04, 2025 TV8 journalist Mariana Rata in Moldova receives a death threat after interviewing politician Renato Usatii on-air, raising concerns about journalist safety.
November 03, 2025 Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.