The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to verify all documents submitted in the court regarding the utilization of secret funds by the Ministry. A two-member bench of Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing identical petitions filed by TV anchors Hamid Mir and Absar Alam about the formation of a media accountability commission.
During the course of proceedings, the Information Ministry presented two files containing the record of utilisation of funds. The court directed the counsel for the Information Ministry, Raja Amir Abass, to provide attestation of the entire record of secret funds utilization from the Information Ministry. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja remarked that the court orders were very clear in the case as it asked the Ministry to submit the entire the record to the court and added that it was up to the court to decide whether the Ministry could claim privilege of non- disclosure of information on funds utilization, after reviewing the entire record. The hearing of case was adjourned till April 22.