PM to pay day-long visit on Jan 25 a week after information minister’s trip to Sindh. PHOTO: FILE
Prime Minister Imran will embark on a day-long trip to the province on January 25 after his information minister’s likely visit on January 15 and 16, Express News reported.
The premier will review matters pertaining to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party besides meeting like-minded political leaders in Sindh. He is all set to pay a visit to the province’s Ghotki district on the invitation of Ali Gohar Khan Mahar of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
A week before the prime minister’s visit, Fawad will hold meetings with key political figures of the province.
Last month, the information minister had postponed his planned visit to Sindh after a Supreme Court hearing went against the PTI government’s stance on ongoing investigations into the fake bank accounts case.
The apex court had directed the federal cabinet to reconsider the list of 172 individuals – named in the JIT report – who were placed on the ECL. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had expressed displeasure over the government’s initiative.
Fawad was expected to meet opposition leaders Pir Pagara, Liaquat Jatoi, Zulfiqar Mirza, Fehmida Mirza and Ayaz Palejo among others during his scheduled visit to Karachi, Badin, Sukkur and Larkana during his postponed visit last month.
The ruling parties in Sindh and at the Centre are at loggerheads ever since the federal cabinet placed the JIT-accused persons in the fake accounts case on the Exit Control List last month.
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The joint investigation team was formed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over the multibillion rupees fake bank accounts case involving among others the top leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party, including Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
‘Conspirators to be dealt with an iron fist’
Meanwhile, Sindh CM Murad has warned that those planning to disrupt smooth running of democratic affairs in the province would be dealt with an iron fist.
Speaking to the media in Sukkur on Sunday, Murad said no one would be allowed to steal the mandate of the elected government in Sindh, Express News reported.
On the ECL issue, he said he was not planning any foreign trip anytime soon. However, if he had to depart for Hajj or on a pilgrimage to Karbala in Iraq then no one would be able to stop him.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari have “dug their own political graves”.
“Their political career is over,” said the information minister while addressing the third edition of ThinkFest here at the Alhamrah Arts Council on Sunday.
“During the past governments trials were conducted in jails, but Nawaz’s trial is being held in such a way that sometimes he leaves for London for 22 days,” said Fawad. “Shehbaz Sharif is also in jail but only on papers. Whenever he wants he calls a conference at his house. Holds meetings though he is a NAB convict and now he wants NAB to appear before the Public Accounts Committee [of whose he’s the chairman].”
The minister said that he had never witnessed such trials.
“[Prime Minister] Imran Khan’s vision is not only political but social as well. Making a state like Madina means tolerance, justice and understanding one another,” said Fawad, claiming that Pakistan does not face any political challenge.
“Imran laid the foundation of a solid political government. Now, we will lay the foundation of a solid economy and bright Pakistan in the January 23 mini-budget,” he added.
He said the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf government was working to raise a positive image of the country in comity of nations, adding that traditional festivals of Punjab were being revived to restore the identity of the province.
On his probable visit to Sindh, the minister said, “There is no restriction on meeting political friends. Sindh is a part of Pakistan and who will stop us from going there.”
Earlier, Fawad suggested media houses to revamp their revenue models and be prepared to face future challenges as technology was fast changing the “way people consume news”.
He underlined that the Pakistani media had to review its revenue models to maintain their independence. “Wherever, I tell media houses that their current models will not work, they get annoyed,” he added.
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He highlighted that the news media wanted the government to sponsor them but it was impossible for the government to fulfil their desire. “The government cannot subsidise news media. Everywhere in the world, news media builds its revenue model on its own. They do not look towards the government,” he said. “We will have to take more loans or impose additional taxes to sponsor media houses. Several media groups have already shifted most of their advertising budgets from news to entertainment.”
He questioned how the media could maintain independence if the government was its savior?
Fawad said, "If I pay, then I will decide what headlines to run. The media has to decrease its reliance on the government, which is very important for its independence in Pakistan.”
He complained about how the print media and Cable Operators' Association get irked when he warns them that digital technology and new media were going to outstrip them.
He again warned that cable operators had only a few years left. “Modern technology is going to take over both print and electronic media. I am not responsible for technology advancement but I am accused of scaring media houses and cable operators,” he lamented.
Citing example of broadcast rights of the Pakistan Super League, he said if the Pakistan Cricket Board sold broadcast rights for $30 million, the total budget would probably end up around $45 million because the advertiser had to earn something as well. If there were elections in India in May and there was a Pak-India series here, then a large chunk of advertising expenditure would go to sports.
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