950824

APP DG gives

legal notice to

Islamabad

daily, MNA

ISLAMABAD: Azhar Suhail, Director General, APP, issued a legal notice for damages against the Owner, Chief Editor, Editor, Deputy Editor, Staff Reporter, Printer and Publisher of daily "Pakistan" Islamabad; as well as Khawaja Mohammad Asif, MNA.

The legal notice, in the sum of Rs 50 crore, to be paid within 15 days, was served on Thursday.

The notice says: "That, you as owner and Chief Editor of the daily 'Pakistan' alongiwth other respondents have deliberately maligned my client by publishing a scurrilous and baseless news items in the daily's issue of July 31, 1995 wherein it has been alleged that my client and his brother have been in possession of stolen vehicles, by exercising political influence over police. That by publishing a retraction about my client's brother (and not my client) goes to show malicious intent", the legal notice maintains.

It adds: "That on account of the above mentioned (in-question) news items, my client has suffered serious setback to his reputation and image in the eyes of his relatives, friends and admirers which cannot be redressed in terms of money. However, my client claims a sum of Rs 50 crores as damages from you and directs to pay the same jointly and severally as token damages to my client".

The Six respondents are: Akber Ali Bhatti, Chief Editor; Abdul Rashid, Printer/Publisher; Tahir Majeed, Deputy Editor; Qudratuallah Chaudhry, Editor; and Naeem Mustafa, Staff Reporter; all of daily 'Pakistan', Civic Centre, Islamabad, and Khawaja Mohammad Asif, MNA.-APP