Firdous asks media to stop ANF’s media trial

ISLAMABAD, Dec 26 (APP):Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Thursday appealed to the media not to make the Anti-Narcotics Force controversial by its media trial.

Talking to media persons after attending a ceremony here, she said a section of the media was presenting a one-sided picture of the case and giving an impression that the ANF (officials) had some personal grudge against Rana Sanaullah (of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz).

Rana Sanaullah’s physical remand, she said, was not taken as he was caught red-handed by the ANF officials with heroin in his possession.

Moreover, it was a general practice that only a sample of the confiscated contraband was sent for laboratory test, she added.

The ANF, she said, would file an appeal against the bail granted to Rana Sanaullah by the Lahore High Court in the Supreme Court (SC).

The special assistant said after a thorough examination of the SC verdict on the Chief of Army Staff’s extension case by its legal team, the government had filed a review petition. The decision was taken to the effect after the legal team had pointed out some legal loopholes in the verdict.

The option of legislation through the Parliament on the matter would still remain available to the government, she said.

About laying the foundation stone of Jalalpur-Kundwal Canal project by Prime Minister Imran Khan, she said the project would be built at the cost of Rs 48 billion and completed till 2024. The canal originating from Rasool Bridge would terminate at Khushab after passing through Pind Dadan Khan, and bring around 170,000 acres of land under cultivation. About half a million 500,000 people of districts Jhelum and Khushab would benefit from the canal.

Earlier at the cake cutting ceremony marking the eighth anniversary of the launch of an Urdu daily, she said the newspaper had promoted constructive journalism. It was the media’s responsibility to point out problems of the masses in a constructive manner and the respective media group had fulfilled that responsibility by constructive criticism, she added.