President sacks Pemra chairman

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ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has dismissed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed while Wapda chief Syed Raghib Abbas Shah was replaced with Zafar Mehmood by the prime minister, DawnNews reported on Thursday.

According to sources in the President House, Chaudhry Rashid Ahmed was removed as per the procedures chalked out by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The high court had suspended the sacking of Ahmed in December last year.

The former information and broadcasting secretary, was appointed as chairman of Pemra for four years by the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government on Jan 26, 2013.

On Dec 15, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had terminated his contract and appointed Tehsin Ali Khan, an executive member of the authority, as acting chairman.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed former secretary water and power Zafar Mehmood as the new water and power development authority (Wapda) chairman.

The prime minister had announced to dismiss Raghib Abbas in July last year saying he was one of those responsible for the power crisis in the country.

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