Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Friday that the opposition’s decision to boycott of the parliament’s National Security Committee meeting was regrettable.

In a tweet, Fawad said that for the first time in seven decades, a government was presenting its security policy to the parliament. The minister said that this was not a political issue but a matter of national security.

He appealed to the opposition to reconsider its decision and attend the meeting in a serious manner.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Friday said that the government and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting were firmly standing behind the working journalists.

Talking to the delegation of Rawalpindi, Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) led by its secretary general and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (APNEC) Chairman Muhammad Siddique Anzar, the minister stressed the need of promoting responsible journalism in the country and urged the journalists to avoid filing news stories out of context. Brushing aside the misconception that there was no freedom of media in Pakistan, he said “we compare our media freedom with first world. Due to lack of defamation laws, we have more freedom of media than first world.” The minister said the responsibilities of media houses and government had increased manifold after the recent approval of Protection of Journalists and Media Professional Act, 2021.

The input of all journalist organisations and journalsits were sought in the preparation of journalists and media professionals Act 2021, he added. Fawad said favorite journalists and some media groups were awarded during the previous regime which was admitted by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz in her press conference.

He lamented that the use of government funds and powers by a private person was illegal. The minister said the government was conducting the inquiry of misuse of government funds by a private person and findings would be shared with the people.

Criticizing previous governments, he said journalists used to face unchecked killings and injuries at the hands of mafia in the past.

Meanwhile, Fawad said Pakistan and Thailand were celebrating 70th friendship anniversary this year as they enjoyed close and cordial bilateral relations. Addressing a function on the occasion of National Day of Thailand here, he said Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage had a strong historical and cultural connection to the Thai people. Taxila was immensely popular among the Thai people, he added.

The two countries, he said, had close views and coordination on various regional and global issues at multilateral fora and were strong supporters of multilateral and regional cooperation. “Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations seven decades ago, we have attached importance to the promotion and diversification of bilateral relations,” Fawad said.

The minister said Thailand’s “Look West” policy and Pakistan’s “Vision East Asia” policy had a wide scope for expanding bilateral relations. “We look forward to a strategic partnership with Thailand based on strengthening political, trade and defense ties,” he said. In addition to the nearly 5,000 Pakistanis in Thailand, there was a vibrant community of Thai citizens of Pakistani descent, known as Thai Pathans, and they were acting as a bridge between the people of the two countries, he said.