Govt determined to protect journalists’ rights: Farrukh

State minister says government passed media protection bill with cooperation of the journalist bodies

LAHORE:

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Saturday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was determined to protect the rights of journalists and multiple steps were being taken for their welfare.

He said this while addressing a ceremony held for members of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists at the Governor’s House in Lahore. President Lahore Press Club Azam Chaudhry and a number of journalists were also present on the occasion.

Farrukh said the government believed in freedom of press and added that the media had always played a vital role in ensuring the rule of law in the country. However, he said, the media should realise the difference between facts and fake news and should avoid spreading misinformation.

He said that the government had passed media protection bill with the cooperation of the journalist bodies, as it would ensure provision of conducive working environment for the media professionals.

Read more: Govt aims to minimise impact of inflation on common man: Farrukh

Farrukh said that journalist community was being made part of many other government initiatives including Health Card, Kamyab Jawan Programme, low-cost housing schemes and soft loans for construction of houses for journalists.

He said that the Health Card had been awarded to journalists in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) as whole of the province had been provided the facility. He said that the Health Card was now being provided to the people of Punjab province and most of the divisions had been given the facility.

Before the initiative, he added, people had to face hardships to get medical treatment for their loved ones, however, now people could get treatment from the place of their choice (public or private hospitals) through the facility. He said that medical treatment amounting to one million rupees was allowed to each family every year.

He termed the Health Card a welfare project in true sense and not a political tool as the PTI government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, was taking practical steps to solve the public problems.

He said that the so-called political leaders sitting abroad had to be answerable for the misdeeds committed during their tenures in government. He said that billions of rupees were transferred through the accounts of Sharif family employees in Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

The minister of state said that the recent meeting between Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari was aimed to protect their personal interests only. He urged the Sindh government to utilise some of the money got through National Finance Commission on the poor people of the province rather than “pocketing it through kickbacks”.

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To a question, he said that the so-called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance of the opposition had taken so many decisions so far, but they could not implement them due to differences in their ranks.

He said that PDM had given a call to resign from the assemblies earlier, but could not do it. Then they announced staging a long march, but again failed, he added.

Farrukh further said that the recent announcement by the PDM about bringing a no-confidence motion in the parliament would also face defeat like in the past.

To another query, he said that the PTI government was taking all its allies along. However, they were independent to meet anyone they want to, he added.