LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Tuesday suspended a notification issued by the federal government to transfer five regulatory bodies to the relevant ministries. The regulatory bodies are the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PEPRA) and the Frequency Allocation Board (FAB). The LHC chief justice observed that rule of law was essential, adding that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have sought approval from the Council of Common Interest (CCI) before issuing the notification. Justice Shah also directed the attorney general of Pakistan to appear on next date of hearing. The chief justice was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Sheraz Zaka, challenging the notification to make the regulatory bodies subservient to the relevant ministries. Earlier, Justice Shah had directed to the federal government to inform until January 20 that how the PM abolished the independent entity of these institutions without consulting the CCI. The petitioner said that through different notifications the administrative control of these regulatory authorities to ministries was against the law. He said that the impugned notifications were issued without getting approval from the CCI and cabinet. He claimed that the impugned notification was violation of Article 154 of the constitution. He requested that as the impugned notification was issued without fulfilling the legal requirement, so it should be declare as null and void. Earlier, a deputy attorney general while opposing the petition had said that the petition was not maintainable. He claimed that approval of the CCI was not required for making the regulatory authorities subservient to their relevant ministries. On Monday, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said that transfer of the regulatory bodies to relevant ministries without the CCI’s approval as unconstitutional. He had also said that the prime minister had only jurisdiction over the matters under federal legislative list.