ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared illegal around 200 appointments made in Pakistan Television (PTV) during the tenure of former PTV managing director Yousuf Baig Mirza.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui struck down these appointments in his detailed judgment whereas on April 12 through a short order he had declared Mr Mirza’s appointment against the law.

The IHC bench directed Mr Mirza to return what had had earned from the PTV advertisements.

Earlier, Mr Mirza had told the IHC that he was entitled to receive 3 per cent of the net profit of the PTV advertisements under an agreement with the ministry of information.

In the detailed judgment, the IHC directed the acting PTV managing director Mustafa Kamal to run the affairs of the state-owned channel on a day-to-day basis till appointment of a permanent chief.

Justice Siddiqui directed the ministry of information to initiate the process for the appointment of the new PTV managing director in a competitive process through publication of advertisements in the press.

The ministry was also directed to complete the process within three weeks.

The judge ruled that PTV appointments were made without adopting competitive process.

He also declared illegal the appointment of Mr Mirza’s predecessor Mohammad Ashraf Azeem. Mr Azeem had filed the petition with the IHC against the appointment of Mr Mirza.

Mr Mirza was appointed on October 2012 at the verbal directions of Nargis Sethi, the principal secretary to the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Deputy attorney general Tariq Mehmood Jehangiri had told the court that the appointment of Mr Mirza was made on the verbal instructions of the former principal secretary.

Ms Sethi verbally directed the ministry of information to forward a summary for removing the then MD PTV and appointing Mr Mirza in his place.

The DAG told the court that it was written on the summary that it was being forwarded on the verbal instructions of Ms Sethi.