PMO apologises for use of ex-Pak air force chief's photo in govt ad

New Delhi, Jan. 24 (ANI): In a bid to control the damage caused by the use of a photograph of former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief in a government advertisement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday apologised to the public and ordered an internal inquiry in the incident.

The advertisement issued by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to mark National Girl Child Day was carried by leading newspapers on Sunday.

The photograph of ex-PAF chief Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed in uniform appeared alongside images of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath.

The others included in the half-page advertisement were photographs of former Indian cricket skipper Kapil Dev, Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and star cricketer Virendra Sehwag.

"The Prime Minister's Office has noted with regret the inclusion of a foreign national's photograph in a Government of India advertisement," said Harish Khare, Media Adviser to the Prime Minister.

"While an internal inquiry has been instituted, the PMO apologises to the public for this lapse," he added.

The advertisement was part of a campaign against female foeticide and was headlined, 'Where would you be if your mother was not allowed to be born?' (ANI)