ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Friday said correlating the arrest of a specific person on allegation of some business wrong-doings with freedom of media, was not only unjustified but also against journalistic ethics and norms.
Addressing a press conference, she said that during past 24 hours, a media house was trying to link the government with arrest of its group editor-in-chief at the hands of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
She said that the Pakistan Tehirk-e-Insaf (PTI) government fully believed in freedom of media and was taking conducive steps to ensure its freedom.
The SAPM said that 22-year political struggle of Prime Minister Imran Khan was based on the rule of law and Constitution, strengthening of institutions and implementation of law on all citizens irrespective of their status.
She said that during the PTI tenure, national institutions had become vibrant and they were now performing their duties independently.
She said that Mir Shakilur Rehman had been arrested by NAB in connection with a case related to taking undue favours from a former prime minister and chief minister. She said that as now the matter was subjudice, it was not justified to hold “media courts” on the issue as it tantamount to an attempt to influence the judges of the court.
She said that both the parties should present their evidences in the court of law and media debate on the issue should be avoided.
She said that the government had come to know about the arrest of Mir Shakil from the media, and did not react as the matter related to NAB, which was an independent institution.
However, she said now the government was compelled to clarify its position as the said media group was trying to malign the Prime Minister and defame the PTI government by claiming victimization on the part of the government .
She asked the concerned media house to also highlight the version of the government in this case.
She said that the people had voted Imran Khan to power for ensuring rule of law in the country as promised in PTI manifesto.
To a question, she said that the country was moving towards a national narrative on Coronavirus and efforts were being made to overcome this issue with the cooperation of the provincial government.
She said that this pandemic has become an international problem and it has health, economic and social and connectivity challenges.
