Plea against regulatory bodies’ control withdrawn

LAHORE: PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen on Wednesday withdrew his petition filed in 2017 challenging transfer of administrative control of five regulatory bodies to their respective ministries.In the case, the court in February 2017 had suspended the impugned notification issued by the PML-N’s government on Dec 19, 2016 that placed the control of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (Pepra) and Frequency Allocation Board under their respective ministries. During the Wednesday’s hearing, a lawyer appeared on behalf of Jahangir Tareen and sought permission to withdraw the petition which was duly allowed. However, hearing another connected petition, Justice Shujaat Ali Khan observed the matter was of public importance. The judge directed a deputy attorney general to seek instructions from the secretary establishment whether the impugned notification putting the autonomous bodies under the control of respective ministries had been withdrawn or the govt wanted to pursue the previous policy. The hearing was adjourned till July 4. The other petition was filed by a citizen namely Ali Irfan through Advocate Sheraz Zaka pleading that an approval from CCI was mandatory under the constitution for transferring the control of the autonomous regulatory bodies to the ministries.

from The News International - Lahore https://ift.tt/2Xx7gcn