ISLAMABAD: Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of information and broadcasting, stated on Wednesday that the coalition government in power at the moment, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, firmly believed in the freedom of the press and would continue to take effective steps to safeguard journalists.
She stated that journalism is now completely free in Pakistan in a statement on the occasion of Press Freedom Day, which is observed today (Wednesday) all over the world, including Pakistan. The minister stated that “the Pakistani Constitution guarantees the freedom of the press and the citizens’ right to access accurate information.” She said that from 2018 to 2022, journalism in Pakistan faced challenges. She paid tribute to the journalists who lost their lives while seeking the truth.
The minister said that in four years of PTI rule, there was a “mysterious censorship” in the country that scared journalists.
In 2017, Pakistan was ranked 139th in the World Press Freedom Index, due to PTI’s anti-media policies, Pakistan’s ranking decreased by 12 points.
The person sitting in the chair of the Prime Minister was given the shameful title of “Press Freedom Predator”, she remarked.
She said that Imran Khan not only silenced journalists but got them kidnapped and they were fired at to pressurise them.
She said that the PTI’s four-year tenure was a dangerous period for journalists as Imran Khan had imposed restrictions on journalism.
She said by imposing such restrictions, one can mislead the people but ultimately the truth has to prevail.
The previous government increased the pressure from the state to muzzle the voice of journalists.
Instead of rectifying his mistakes, Imran vented out the anger of his failures on journalists and media institutions.
“Journalists make society strong, it is said that information is power and a journalist gives you that power,” she maintained.
