LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the federal government and telecommunications ministry on a petition challenging appointment of Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Chairman Syed Ismail Shah.

Representing the petitioner, Advocate Sheraz Zaka argued that the four-year term of incumbent PTA chairman expired in September. However, the respondent was given a two-year extensionin sheer violation of Section 3 of Pakistan Telecommunications Authority Act 1996.

The counsel said as per law, the federal government was supposed to make a new appointment after expiry of the non-extendable fouryear term of the respondent chairman. But, he said, the government did not advertise the post and gave extension to the respondent.

He asked the court to set aside the extension in service given to the PTA chairman and order the government to appoint a new official after following due process.

After hearing the arguments,Justice Shahid Karim issued notices to the government and the telecom ministry for Dec 21.

PROTEST: A group of young lawyers on Wednesday staged a demonstration on the Lahore High Court premises against new syllabus introduced for the examination of civil judges being held on Nov 15.

The lawyers resorted to protest after a single judge of the LHC referred a petition on the matter to the chief justice with a request to fix it before another judge who previously decided a similar matter.

Punjab Bar Council memberFarhad Ali Shah had filed the petition challenging the new syllabus for civil judges` examination.

The protesters also marched towards the court of chief justice chanting slogans against the new syllabus. However, they remained peaceful.

They claimed that the high court had no power to change the syllabus under Punjab Civil Service Rules. They said they had prepared for the examination according to the old syllabus but the high court announced to conduct the upcoming examination with a new curriculum.