ISLAMABAD: PMLN Secretary Information Marriyum Aurangzeb has declared the report by Reporters Without Borders, a charge sheet for Imran Khan’s government.
In a statement, Marriyum said, Imran’s fascist mindset and authoritarian attitude, and character were defiling Pakistan’s image in the international realm. She said the report by the Reporters Without Borders is a resounding slap on the face of the Imran government’s claims of democracy and performance. The global community had unequivocally stamped the Imran government’s suppression of the freedom of expression and press.
“The report says that the PTI government was worse than military dictatorships in Pakistan when it comes to press freedom. The Human Rights Watch, Pakistan Press Freedom Report, and Freedom Network Report had already declared the Imran government as the worst media gagging administration in the history of the country. For the past three years media journalists, civil society, citizen Rights bodies, and freedom of speech advocates how the truth and freedom of expression were being slain under the Imran government” She told.
The former Information Minister said that Transparency International had already marked this Imran government as the most corrupt. However, this report by the RWB has exposed the predatory behavior of the Imran government. She said these actions by the PTI government not only reflect negatively on Pakistan’s journalism but also adversely affect the country’s position when it comes to FATF and EU’s GSP Plus status.
Marriyum said the report says that newspaper distribution and news channel broadcasting were barred by the PTI government. It mentions that Journalists were harassed, abducted, and assaulted for crossing the red lines defined by the state. The report also pointed out that freedom of expression on social media is also being curbed through new dark and draconian laws. She said Imran had gifted the country with another embarrassing attribute of suppression of freedom of expression after establishing it as a corrupt country by Transparency International.
The PMLN Secretary Information said these attributions with Pakistan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister were a matter of shame, concern, and alarm for the country. She said the report had exposed every oppressive act of the Imran government from censorship, gagging of expression, media curbs, to abduction and murder of journalists. After this report, Imran cannot claim that Pakistan is more democratic than the west because this report was issued by Western monitors.
Marriyum said this report should serve as a mirror for Imran Khan that exposes his tarnished face. Imran should correct himself instead of trying to break this mirror, she said.