QUETTA, Aug 26: A division bench of Balochistan High Court has directed government departments to ensure that advertisements (tender notices) are given only to newspapers with circulation.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Noor Mohammad Meskanzai was hearing on Thursday a petition filed by one Abdul Kareem against the general manager of National Highway Authority for giving advertisements to dummy newspapers.

The bench said the objective of publishing tender notices was to convey information to the interested parties.

The court asked the director of Audit Bureau Circulation (ABC), Ministry of Information, Islamabad, to submit the following information — Under what authority certificates are issued and whether the figure of circulation mentioned in the certificates issued by him are verified at local level, and if so, by whom.

The director public relations of Balochistan said the ABC certificate issued by the Ministry of Information was highly exaggerated.

According to NHA comments filed in the court, its advertising agency had been asked to release ads to two local and one Karachi-based newspapers, but the advertisements also appeared in three other local newspapers.

The hearing was adjourned till Sept 20.