Responding to the long-standing request from IT, telecom, and internet service providers, the government has officially instituted the Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal.
According to the gazette notification, this tribunal, established under the Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Ordinance 2023, will consist of three members, with the chairperson being either a high court judge or an advocate with a 15-year of experience. All ongoing appeals and cases in the IT and telecom sector before any high court will be transferred to the tribunal within one month, as per the notification. The law specifies that appeals against the tribunal’s decisions can be lodged at the Supreme Court within a 60-day window.
While the appointment of the chairperson and members is pending, it is anticipated that the process will be finalized by the incoming government elected in the February 8 elections. According to the law, the chairperson and members of the tribunal will serve a four-year term and may be re-appointed for a similar term or terms. Their tenure will conclude either upon reaching the age of sixty-eight or at the end of the term unless renewed, whichever comes first. If the chairperson of the tribunal is a retired judge from a high court, they will receive the salary, benefits, and privileges equivalent to those last received as a judge. In the event an advocate is appointed as chairperson, they will be entitled to the salary, benefits, and privileges corresponding to the MP-I scale of the federal government.
Very productive meeting with Federal Secretaries of Education, Science and Information Technology.
We are all going to work together to establish a network of 10 STEM schools for nurturing exceptionally talented children in Pakistan (similar to NODET schools in Iran; and… pic.twitter.com/A5cPb7NB0E
— Umar Saif (@umarsaif) January 4, 2024
One tribunal member must hold a Master’s level professional degree in electrical, electronics, telecommunications, information, and communication technology, or information security, along with at least 10 years of relevant experience, including a minimum of five years in a senior management role in the public or private sector.
The other member should also possess a Master’s level professional degree in finance, commerce, economics, chartered accountancy, or a related subject, along with at least ten years of relevant experience, including a minimum of five years at the senior management level in the public or private sector. Both members will be entitled to the salary, benefits, and privileges of the MP-I scale.
