Fashion Pakistan/PFDC rejoinder

We take strong exception to false, incorrect, baseless, inaccurate statements and information based on conjectures.

LAHORE/KARACHI: We, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC), Fashion Pakistan (FP) and Libas International, are writing to you in complaint of the false story published in The Express Tribune’s Life & Style Pages dated April 1, 2011.

We take strong exception to the false, incorrect, baseless, inaccurate statements and information based on conjectures and surmises, supported by statements of renowned industry personalities, which have been reported as established facts without soliciting our, or indeed anyone’s, confirmation as to the authenticity or veracity of the contents published in the aforesaid story.

This story is misleading and, in fact, represents a complete falsification of material. It also used and distorts a logo (of Libas International) without the consent of the logo copyright holder (Sehyr Saigol), infringing copyright and intellectual property rights therein.

Further, the story published has portrayed us as non-law abiding citizens and has exposed us to the threat of possible legal action by falsely reporting that the PFDC and FP are merging.

Amir Adnan (CEO of FP), Sehyr Saigol (Chairperson of the PFDC), Kamiar Rokni (member of the executive committee of the PFDC) and Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (member of the executive committee of the PFDC) shall hold your newspaper liable for any consequential damage to their reputation, and would like to strongly establish herewith that any and all information attributed to their names within this piece is false and a misrepresentation of fact and of their nature.

It is disappointing that a well-reputed newspaper such as yours has overlooked ethics and relevant laws, especially those pertaining to libel, and has published this story. We demand that you tender an apology to all the parties misrepresented and misquoted herewith and publish the same, along with a retraction of all misinformation and misquotations.

Sehyr Saigol

PFDC chairperson (executive committee) and publisher, Libas International

Saad Ali

CEO PFDC,

Amir Adnan

CEO, FP

 

Editor’s note: The story in question was published by The Express Tribune on April 1 solely as an April Fool’s Day joke. The story was, therefore, deliberately tongue-in-cheek – and a clarification was published the very next day on the pages, explicitly explaining the issue to this effect. The piece was run in good faith and the humour was not intended to malign any organisation or individual; however we regret if it has done so.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th,  2011.