Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon said that earlier the day used to start with the newspaper, but now trends are changing. He emphasized the need to develop the newspaper industry, noting that most news on social media is false or misleading, while newspapers remain authentic documents.
Speaking to the media on the occasion of the CPNE meeting, he said that there is a constant race for breaking news on television. Around the world, print media is facing severe challenges, and electronic media has also put newspapers under pressure. Nonetheless, efforts are being made to strengthen newspapers.
Sharjeel Inam Memon stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has always worked to ensure the flourishing of the media. Good democracy succeeds only when the media is free. He recalled that during some periods, the PPP faced the harshest media trials, yet it stood by the media in difficult times. The party has never pursued politics of revenge.
He added that in every period, anchors have been taken off air; when governments of other parties came to power, they would demand certain anchors be removed. The PPP, however, has never instructed any media house to remove journalists. It has never adopted a victimization mindset, and President Asif Ali Zardari has always demonstrated patience and tolerance.
Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon urged that good journalism should be promoted collectively. He acknowledged that sometimes news against the country circulates, but noted that in developed countries, despite crimes, such news rarely gets published.
He stressed that Pakistan is dearer to them than life itself and that the focus should not always be on negative news. The media should also highlight the country’s virtues, presenting Pakistan positively and showing the world that investment opportunities exist. In many countries, even if an accident occurs, people do not rush to the scene; similarly, positive stories must be brought forward.
Sharjeel Inam Memon said that “our eyes and ears are the media,” and that the PPP has always been media-friendly.
He criticized PTI, stating that the government arranged a meeting with the founder’s sisters, while immoral content was shared from the personal social media account of a prisoner. He added that PTI leadership is making the country controversial through interviews with Indian media, questioning what they intend to prove.
Sharjeel Inam Memon said that what happened to the PPP in the past did not happen to any other party. The party’s leader and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto were martyred. When leaders of some political parties went to jail, their narratives changed, but the PPP never altered its stance or spoke against the country’s institutions. During the time of Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom, people were protesting in large numbers, and President Asif Ali Zardari raised the slogan of “Pakistan Khappay.”
He said that false narratives were spread against the country. The PTI founder used to speak about granting a lifetime extension to General Bajwa and incited hatred in the country.
Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the DG ISPR’s press conference was correct. Social media trolling was carried out from abroad; these individuals tweeted from outside the country in a failed attempt to harm Pakistan.