The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered on Monday for the names of 282 journalists , who received payments or gifts from the secret fund of the information ministry in its bid to seek their support in writing in favour of the government, to be made public.
The list of 282 journalists would be uploaded on the SC website later in the day. This is the first time that any such list has come into light as in the past the secret fund of the information ministry was never made public.
Another list of 155 journalists who received payments or gifts would also be made public later.
During the hearing‚ two documents were submitted in the court. The first gives the details of payments amounting to 90 million rupees while the second quoted 180 million rupees that were paid to journalists from the secret fund.
The Ministry of Information requested to keep the payments amounting to 90 million rupees as secret while the other would be made public.
The order of the SC came during the hearing of the case pertaining to petitions file by two private television channel anchors who had requested the court to probe the matter of media accountability and payments made to journalists by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)- led government in 2011-2012.
The Court adjourned the hearing of the case till 25th of this month.