Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday taking notice of media campaign of Punjab government's 'performance' observed that since the general elections were around the corner such media campaigns amounted to pre-poll rigging. The chief justice referred to a long ad broadcasted by the electronic media showing performance of the provincial government in different sectors along with the picture of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and observed that chief minister should have paid for the advertisement from his own pocket as the court could not allow misuse of public money.
The court adjourned the matter for March 8 and directed the secretary information to come up with detailed reply to promotional campaign of the provincial government. Earlier, Secretary Information Raja Jahangir told the court that Rs 5.5 million were paid to 12 television channels for a one-day broadcasting of the advertisement. The chief justice asked the secretary to tell the name of the authority who ordered for the media campaign with public exchequer. He also questioned exhibition of the chief minister's prominent photo in the television ads and said that the government would have to justify the misuse of taxpayer's money for its personal promotion.
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