ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday reinstated Pervez Rathore as the acting chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

A two-member bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk ordered the reinstatement during the hearing of an appeal against the Islamabad High Court's decision of July 15 to bar the acting chairman from functioning in his position.

Meanwhile, the court also reinstated Kamaluddin Tipu as a member of the watchdog.

Previously, the IHC had ordered the suspension of Rathore and Tipu as the acting chairman of Pemra observing that the appointments of the two were not made in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Pemra ordinance.

Rathore, who was appointed acting chairman on June 5, had ordered the suspension of Geo News for 15 days and had imposed a fine of Rs100 million on the channel for “defaming” the director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence after an attempt on the life of TV anchor Hamid Mir on April 19.

The court had maintained that the two appointments were unlawful as they were made by the prime minister. It was a violation of the Pemra ordinance since it laid down that the appointment of members will be made by the President, and not by the prime minister.

Ahmad Hassan Rana, Rathore’s counsel, had earlier contended that although the summary for the appointment of his client had been addressed to the president, it erroneously mentioned the prime minister instead.