ECP objects to Saleem Baig’s appointment as PEMRA chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday objected to the appointment of Principal Information Officer (PIO) Saleem Baig as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman.

Taking notice of the appointment, ECP said that an earlier request made by the federal government regarding the selection was not approved. ECP also seeks a reply from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in this regard.

Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain approved the summary of Baig’s appointment after Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi approved his selection.

Baig is being appointed after the previous chairman Absar Alam was removed by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in December 2017. PEMRA lawyers had also sought more time to submit details of Alam’s appointment but the court rejected the appeal.

In May, the six-member search committee, tasked to fulfil the vacant slot of PEMRA chairman, conducted interviews under the chairmanship of Sartaj Aziz.

Sources told Pakistan Today that around 171 applications were received for the post of PEMRA chairman, however, the ministry only shortlisted 61 candidates, including Saleem Baig, Senate Secretary Amjad Pervez, former Radio Pakistan director general Sheraz Latif and PEMRA General Manager Sardar Irfan.

The Supreme Court had instructed the government to establish a search committee for recommending names for the office.

The government had recommended that Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb will head the committee but on the court’s instructions, her name was excluded.