F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday alleged that the media faced the worst fascism during the four-year rule of Imran Khan, who himself had been declared “fascist” by the international media watchdog.
The minister, in a news statement, said Imran Khan had no right to speak about media freedom as it was he who had imposed the worst restrictions on the media while being in power. “Imran Khan should rather be ashamed instead of lecturing others on media freedom as journalists were abducted and their ribs were broken during his rule,” she added.
The relentless assault on the press freedom, closure of the Parliament’s building and arm twisting of the media through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), she said, were the hallmarks of Imran Khan’s government. More than 10,000 journalists became jobless during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
The minister alleged that Imran Khan had ruined the media industry economically and created a division among the media houses. His ‘grief and sorrow’ was limited to the ARY news channel only, she added.
Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Radio Pakistan had played an important role in development of moderate attitudes in the society. Speaking in an event organized by Radio Pakistan on the occasion of the establishment of Pakistan and Radio Pakistan’s Diamond Jubilee, she stressed for an extended role of radio to counter extremism in society.
Senior artists, singers, writers, poets, musicians and other people from Radio Pakistan were specially invited on the occasion. The minister said that Radio Pakistan and Pakistan were born simultaneously, and Radio was the voice of beloved Pakistan and symbol of ‘Pakistaniat’. “Senior artists of Radio Pakistan are our asset, we should utilize their skills and abilities”, she said adding that the Diamond Jubilee celebrations were not complete without senior artists.
