Presidency clarifies news item

ISLAMABAD: A story appeared in daily ‘The News’ dated May 31, 2019 by Ansar Abbasi, with attribution to the President of Pakistan, is inaccurate and does not carry merit.

A statement issued by the President’s Secretariat on Friday said the President of Pakistan acts as per the Constitution of the country.

Ansar Abbasi adds: The News story was based on the background interaction with two federal ministers. One of the ministers had clearly said that the president was unhappy with the language of the reference and thus had modified it. The minister had also said that Law Minister Farogh Naseem was behind the reference. This correspondent had tried to contact Farogh Naseem on Thursday for his version before filing the story in question but he did not pick up the call. Additionally, The News quoted media report (of Express Tribune of 28th May) to say that the reference was prepared within the ministry and that the services of a former Supreme Court judge -- who had taken oath under November 3, 2007 Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) -- were hired to file the reference. One of the ministers’ source, when approached on Friday and informed about the clarification, laughed and said the journalist should trust his source.