Around 30 telecom-related cases have been transferred from the Islamabad High Court to the newly operational Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal.
Sources told ProPakistani that out of 47 telecom cases pending before the Islamabad High Court, the first batch has already been moved to the tribunal.
Across Pakistan’s high courts, a total of 77 telecom-related cases are currently awaiting adjudication. The tribunal is mandated to decide cases within 90 days, a step aimed at reducing prolonged litigation in conventional courts.
The tribunal has been temporarily established at the Customs Tribunal building in G-10, Islamabad. It is expected to relocate to the NITB and NIC building complex in H-9 once renovation work is completed, a process officials estimate will take about a month. During this interim period, records of telecom cases from other high courts are also likely to be transferred.
The tribunal has formally begun operations, with its Chairperson and Technical Member assuming office. Former Lahore High Court judge Muhammad Tariq Abbasi has been appointed Chairperson, while Imad Memon is serving as Technical Member.
The post of Finance Member remains vacant, although officials say an appointment is expected soon.
Following the transfer, tribunal members have started reviewing case files. Proceedings involving complex financial disputes remain pending due to the absence of the Finance Member. Meanwhile, simpler matters, particularly quality-of-service penalty cases imposed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on telecom operators, are expected to be heard first because of their relatively straightforward nature.
The Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal was established under the Establishment of Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal Act, 2024 to provide a specialized forum for resolving telecom and IT sector disputes.
Once the backlog of transferred cases is cleared, telecom operators will be able to file appeals directly before the tribunal. Any challenge to the tribunal’s decisions may be taken to the Supreme Court of Pakistan within 60 days.