A petition challenging the appointments of chief of human resource, chief of news and current affairs, and others in the Pakistan Television was filed before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday.

Secretary general All PTV Employees and Workers Union Parvaiz Akhter Bhatti filed the petition through his counsel Ali Nawaz Kharal and cited Chairman Pakistan Television Corporation Limited (PTV), Federation of Pakistan through its Secretary Ministry of Information Broadcasting and National Heritage, Muhammad Tahir Mushtaq, Chief Human Resource Officer PTV, Quatrina Hosain, Chief News and Current Affairs, Nasir A Naqvi, Chief Technology Officer, Usman Bajwa, Chief Finance Officer, Atif Zareef Chief Digital Officer, and Khawar Azhar, head of marketing and content as respondents.

In the petition, Bhatti challenged the appointment of private respondents no 3 to 8 on the ground that the appointment's having been made without adhering to the due process of law in as much as, the posts were not advertised and the procedure as adopted was not in accordance with the law and the innumerable judgment's rendered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and therefore culminating as a result of a non-transparent process the appointments are to be set aside by declaring as illegal and void ab initio.

He maintained, "The entire process (impugned appointments) has been undertaken in a manner, which leaves no doubt that the same was a non transparent process, which negated across the board competition and participation. PTVC had touted these appointments being part of its structural transformation drive, to beef up the talent landscape, while engaging specialist leaders from the market."

The petitioner contended, "The appointed individuals may excel in their respective fields, however that alone cannot be the determinative factor; there are more qualified and accomplished professionals in the market, who if given a chance would have been willing to serve PTVC. However, a non-participatory process limits such talent from being part of a competitive pool wherefrom the best are chosen to represent and perform their services for a national/public sector enterprise."

Therefore, he prayed to the court that the appointments of respondent No 3 to 7 in the establishment of the PTVC vide the impugned process and the notifications thereto, may be set aside and be declared as illegal, unlawful, void ab initio and a result of an in competitive and opaque process.