ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments in media advertisements case and sought their replies.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also directed its office to deposit a Rs5.5 million cheque in the account of Government of Punjab, submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president as fine in the case.
During the course of proceedings, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel, Shahid Hamid, informed the bench that whatever his client did as the chief minister of Punjab was in good faith.
“There was no violation of any law, rule, regulations or guidelines. The applicant never had any intention of benefiting either his person or party,” Shahid said.
He added that the publication of advertisements bearing pictures of the prime minister, the president, chief minister, governor and members of parliament had been a common practice in the country and no law, rule, regulation or guideline prohibited it.
The counsel alleged that governments of KP and Sindh also published portraits of the then chief ministers along with advertisements.
Subsequently, the bench, while issuing notices to the governments of both the provinces, directed them to submit their replies within ten days and adjourned the hearing.
