SC reveals names of scribes,others who received money from secret govt funds

After receiving details,a three-judge bench Monday directed that one list of 282 payments should be posted on the SC website.

The Information Ministry submitted another list of 174 payments worth Rs 86.8 million that it asked the apex court to keep secret.

The bench indicated it would decide whether this list too would be made public after getting the opinion of an official of the Auditor General of Pakistan at the next hearing on April 25.

The list of payments made public contains items that range from the innocuous financial aid to widows of journalists to controversial,such as huge sums given to reporters for special assignments.

Muhammad Saleh Zaafir,a journalist of the Jang media group known to be close to the security establishment,received three payments totalling Rs 500,000 for special assignments last year.

The payments from the Special Publicity Fund included financial assistance to journalists across the country,hotel bills of persons like officials of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists,payments to publishers of books,payment of salaries to research analysts of the IM,organising media workshops,bills for dinners hosted by the Information Minister and visa fees and travel expenses for journalists accompanying the Prime Minister on foreign trips.

A payment of Rs 37 million was made to an advertisement agency for a media campaign titled Benazir Bhutto song while several payments were made in 2011 for mobilising the media to report on the floods in Sindh province.

Ex-generals warn over Musharrafs insult

Islamabad: Several retired Pakistani generals have warned that the military might react if there is any move by lawyers or the judiciary to humiliate former army chief Pervez Musharraf,according to a media report Tuesday. Former army chief Gen retd Mirza Aslam Beg said the army would not tolerate developments in the case of Musharraf after a certain level. He was quoted by Dawn as saying certain quarters were encouraging lawyers to act against the former military ruler. pti

Police defuse car bomb near farmhouse

Islamabad: Pakistani police Tuesday said they had defused a car bomb near Pervez Musharrafs sprawling farmhouse here,prompting authorities to beef up security for the former military ruler. The car was found about a kilometre from the five-acre farmhouse at Chak Shahzad on the outskirts of the capital. The car,fitted with about 50 kg of explosives,was intercepted Tuesday evening,police told the media. No arrests were made in connection with the incident. pti