LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Friday directed Pakistan Television Network, Radio Service, All Pakistan Newspaper Society, and Advertising Association of Pakistan to submit replies in a petition challenging governments’ policy on media advertisements.

Inam Akbar, head of a private advertisement agency, had filed the petition submitting that the government could not evolve any uniform policy for media ads but had been running media campaign.  The petitioner’s counsel Advocate Saad Rasool contended that both federal and Punjab governments had been distributing ads among media houses on the basis of personal liking and billions of rupees from the public exchequer had been wasted for promotion of few individual in the name of government advertisements.

He stated that by doing so, the government influenced editorial policies of media houses. He pleaded the court to order the authorities concerned to come up with a ten-year record of advertisements given to print and

electronic.

He prayed that governments be barred from issuing ads to media houses till formation of uniform policy for ads.

After hearing arguments of the petitioner’s counsel, Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah sought replies from PTV, Radio Service, All Pakistan Newspaper Society, and Advertising Association of Pakistan and adjourned until May 25. 

PETITION AGAINST THREE PROSECUTORS

The Lahore High Court sought detailed reply from Anti-Narcotics Force in a petition challenging process of alleged illegal recruitment of three prosecutors with the force.

Advocate Khalid Jamil filed the petition submitting that ANF initiated process of recruitment of three prosecutors. The ANF gave ads of the vacancies on its website rather than national dailies.

According to the laws, state institutions were bound to give ads in newspapers but ANF did not follow these laws for this process, the petitioner alleged. He further alleged that rules and regulations had also not been followed for these under question recruitments. He also alleged that the ANF DG wanted to recruit his blue-eyed Gohar Razzaq.  He prayed the court to stay the process of recruitment of three prosecutors with ANF.

After hearing initial arguments, Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan issued notice to ANF DG and sought detailed reply. The court adjourned further hearing until May 5.