JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 13, 2016
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ISLAMABAD - A district judge in Islamabad has summoned ARY Chief Executive Salman Iqbal (pictured), and anchors Arshad Sharif and Asad Kharal for a hearing on June 17 in a lawsuit filed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
Legal notices were served on the three after the minister took strong exception to the "defamatory and slanderous telecasts/publications" against him by ARY News in “News @ 3 with Maria Memon” aired on April 16, 2016.
The notices said the channel had aired libelous content alleging the minister held a meeting with Panamian Deputy Minister for Economy, Ivan Zarak in Washington, without seeking any confirmation.
The respondents were asked to publish an apology in leading newspapers and also air it on their channel within days of the notice and also pay a sum of Rs1 billion each to the minister in damages failing which legal proceedings against them would be initiated.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance said the Panama Deputy Minister, Ivan Zarak had denied such a meeting ever took place with Pakistan's finance minister.
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