LAHORE: As Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman moved the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) against three media persons for defaming him on social media on so-called extension or renovation of his official residence, two of them on Wednesday tendered an “unconditional apology”.

The NCCIA had issued summons to media persons – Irshad Bhatti, Anwar Sumra and Salman Haider – on a complaint that they disseminated “false, fake and defamatory information publicly on digital platforms by falsely attributing expenditures of Rs225 million from public funds on the renovation of the lawns of the official residence of the Punjab chief secretary”.

Citing the complaint, the NCCIA in a notice to them further said: “These defamatory words injured the reputation of the chief secretary and ridiculed and exposed him to unjust criticism, disliking, contempt and hatred.”

The false content in question, it said, was harmful to the reputation, dignity and public standing, and undermined public confidence in a senior public office by falsely associating the CS with misuse of public money and personal extravagance.

Responding to the NCCIA notice, Irshad Bhatti and Anwar Sumra appeared before it on Wednesday and submitted a written statement. Salman Haider could not appear before the NCCIA for being in Gilgit-Biltistan.

In his statement, Sumra tendered an unconditional apology for running the fake news targeting the CS and the Punjab government.

Bhatti apologised for doing an analysis based on “this baseless information” aired by a private TV channel.

The Lahore bureau chief of a news channel that aired the programme in which the “defamatory information” was aired also sought unconditional apology. The media persons have also requested to dispose of the complaint after their ‘apology.’

After the CS house renovation controversy erupted, the Punjab government had warned that it would move against all those running this fake campaign about the chief secretary and other officials in the relevant forum.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2026