950817

AHSAN*NINTH

Azfar withdraws

case against

Newsline

KARACHI: A spokesman of Sindh Governor House on Thursday strongly contradicted reports appearing in a section of the press, alleging "impropriety" in the filing of a case against the Editor and Senior Reporter of a Karachi monthly "Newsline".

The text of the statement reads as follows:-

"It has come to our notice that the Karachi Police have made several attempts to contact the Editor and Publisher of monthly "Newsline" and their Senior Reporter in connection with an article appearing in the June issue of the magazine.

"Since the Governor believed that the article contained "false and scurrillous" allegations against his person, he filed a complaint against the magazine in his personal capacity as a private citizen. The Governor, however, made it clear to the Government of Sindh that no journalist should be harassed or subjected to any persecution. Kamaluddin Azfar should receive the protection and benefits the law affords a private citizen and no more.

"Due to the subsequent protest and advice of Hameed Haroon, the Secretary General of the Pakistan Newspapers and Periodicals Organization (PNPO), for whom the Governor has a high professional and personal regard, the Governor has decided to forego all personal rights in the legal matter, and has unilaterally withdrawn all charges against the magazine and foregoes all legal remedies.

"It is better to surrender one's own right as a private citizen than to lay the office of Governor open to any charges of misuse to power", the spokesman added on behalf of Sindh Governor Kamaluddin Azfar.-APP