LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was pursuing negative politics, which would encourage terrorists and discourage investors in Pakistan.
He was talking to newsmen after addressing “A Session on Peace Journalism,” arranged jointly by the Lahore Press Club (LPC), Bahawalpur Press Club (BPC) and the Peace Journalism Forum (PJF) here at the Nisar Usmani Auditorium. The minister said that the terrorists were on the run due to effective and well-coordinated efforts at all levels by the government.
Huge investment was now pouring into the country, which reflected the confidence of local and foreign investors in the business-friendly policies of the government. But Imran Khan was attempting to grab power through politics of chaos, street protests and agitation, which would produce nothing good for Pakistan, he said.
It would rather encourage the terrorists, who not only got wide coverage but also fulfilled their nefarious designs in the chaotic situation, besides discouraging investors and resulting in flight of capital abroad, he observed. “You can term 2017 the year of campaign for the general election-2018; however, Imran Khan cannot even wait for six months till the start of 2017, and has been making attempts to attain power through negative politics and street protests after foreseeing his party’s sheer defeat in the next general election.”
To a question, he said the PTI wanted to impose its own terms of reference (ToRs) for the judicial commission by all means that negated the objective for which the parliamentary committee was constituted. Prof Dr Mujahid Mansoori, LPC President Shahbaz Mian, BPC Senior Vice President Akram Nasir, Asif Ali Bhatti of the National Press Club, besides a large number of journalists attended the session.
To a question, the minister clarified that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had phoned to inquire after the health of his Pakistani counterpart. It was a phone call like he (Nawaz Sharif) received from heads of other states, he added. Regarding the Indian admission and confession about non-involvement of Pakistan in the Pathankot attack, he said the credit for clean chit given by India must be given to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was running the country’s foreign affairs with political sagacity and dynamic leadership.
To a query about dismal working and financial conditions of journalists, the minister assured that though the owners of media houses had not still nominated their representative for the wage board, the government would announce the next Wage Board Award. Addressing the workshop, the information minister underscored the need for initiating an ‘ideological Zarb-e-Azb’ to create harmony in the society and defeat the monsters of extremism and terrorism.
He said that journalism was a mirror of a society, nation and government as it reflected what was happening in a society and the nation. He mentioned that the Afghan war had also affected Pakistan on social, political and economic fronts, which subsequently inflicted huge losses in terms of lives and property, besides promoting hatred and extremism in society.
He said that Pakistan needed social peace for which all segments of the society would have to rise above their ideological differences by forging harmony and promoting solidarity and peace. He asserted that the media had a very crucial role to steer the nation out of conflicts of sectarianism, race, region and language by changing the ideological mindset which breed extremism and terrorism, and protecting the country’s economic and social fabric.
The minister also appreciated the organisers of the workshop on peace journalism. It would prove to be a milestone in bringing about a positive change in the society. Shahbaz Mian and Akram Nasir presented crests to the minister as mementos to the event.
