ISLAMABAD, June 5: Damages suit of Rs200 million each will be filed against the federal information secretary and the managing director of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for violating service rules by facilitating the establishment in implementing its agenda to gag the press.

This was announced by Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, counsel for Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

He accused both the officials of playing a leading role in conspiracies being hatched against the media. Mr Ahsan alleged that the information secretary was attending political meetings with the minister for communications and the minister for information against the service rules.

He warned the government officials to refrain from violating basic constitutional and legal provisions in implementing the agenda of the government.

Mr Ahsan asked all district bars to file lawsuits against those officials who had become tool in the hands of the management, adding: “Lawyers will appear in the court voluntarily against these officials. And the day will come when the damage will be recovered through the liquidation of their assets.”

“We never interfere in the affairs of armed forces, but we are against the military interference in the political affairs,” he said.

Lawyers on the occasion announced that Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry would visit Faisalabad and Multan on June 16 and 23, respectively, to address high court bars.