ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday directed the interior ministry to immediately withdraw a case registered against journalists at the Secretariat Police Station, sources told Dawn.

Sources said the prime minister in his directive to federal Secretary Syed Kamal Shah had asked for withdrawal of the First Information Report against journalists for violating section 144.

Despite several attempts Mr Shah was not available for comments. Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao when contacted said: We have started processing the instruction of the prime minister.

Asked if any directive was issued to the local police to withdraw the case, the minister said: What are you trying to ask, I told you that we have started sorting out the matter.

Sources in the police department, however, said that no instruction from the ministry or the PM Secretariat had been received so far for the withdrawal of the case.

The case has been registered on the charge of violating section 144 and if the PM and the high-ups want to withdraw the case, then police will obey the orders, they said.

Opinion

Editorial

Increased inflows
Updated 12 Jan, 2025

Increased inflows

Govt must devise a strategy to increase industrial and agricultural productivity to boost exports and reduce reliance on uncertain remittances.
Gwadar’s potential
12 Jan, 2025

Gwadar’s potential

THE Gwadar deep-sea port, completed in 2007, was supposed to be a shining success for the other newly built ports in...
Broken metropolis
12 Jan, 2025

Broken metropolis

KARACHI, Pakistan’s economic juggernaut, is the largest contributor to the nation’s tax revenue. The Federal...
Afghan outreach
Updated 11 Jan, 2025

Afghan outreach

Islamabad should stress stronger counterterrorism measures, yet also engage the Taliban high command in Kandahar as well as politicians in Kabul.
Fragile recovery
11 Jan, 2025

Fragile recovery

STATE Bank Governor Jameel Ahmed appears to be quite optimistic over recent economic gains. That is not unusual;...
Destination Europe
11 Jan, 2025

Destination Europe

THE country’s aviation authorities can rest a little easy. After a four-year banishment from European skies,...