August 30, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-us-Saani 20, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: Federal Information Minister Nisar Memon on Thursday assured all the political parties that they would be provided with an equal opportunity in the electronic media to project their manifestos and party programmes.

“When the election commission is allowing the political parties to project their programmes, we will also invite them in the television soon,” he said, expressing the confidence that the private TV channels would follow the same.

Mr Memon was talking to mediamen here at a local hotel after presiding over an information ministers’ conference during which he launched the info-portal of the government by declaring the moment as historic.

He asked the print media to give coverage to all the political parties in a balanced manner as, he said, the present coverage seemed to be tilted towards a particular party.

The minister brushed aside the impression of a deal of the government with any political party, saying that the government had taken a policy decision to make the forthcoming general elections free and fair, and had invited observers from different countries to come and watch the election process. He said Pakistan was not like India, which, “is not allowing even their own mediamen to cover the elections in the Indian held Kashmir.”

About the allegations of pre-poll riggings, he said that only those parties were raising hue and cry and levelling allegations of pre-poll rigging, which had realized that they were not in a position to win the elections.

“It is their habit to keep on pointing fingers to hide their own misdeeds,” he observed, saying that they were the same parties that had alleged that the government would not hold elections, and since the election schedule had been announced, they had been accusing the government of pre-poll rigging.

Mr Memon announced that different laws relating to the media, including the press and publication ordinance, access to the freedom of information and defamatory laws, were likely to be promulgated before the installation of new government. “These laws were discussed during the cabinet meeting and expected to be promulgated before October 10.”

He also announced that the government would soon be setting a 100KW radio station in Mirpur, AJK, and a 100KW shortwave radio transmitter and a radio repeater in Northern Areas to relay programmes for Skardu. The government, he said, had decided to establish a bureau office of the Associated Press of Pakistan in Skardu and a bureau office of Pakistan Television at Gilgit. The PTV office was likely to commence work next month, he added.

“We all are media people and our mission should be to protect and project Pakistan through information management,” he said, emphasizing that it was the responsibility of the print and electronic media to bring out facts objectively.

He stated that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had invited bids for putting up radio in the private sector. The government was planning to award five radio licences before Oct 10, the minister said, adding that licenses for launching television channels in the private sector would also be given.

The fundamental stone of democracy was being laid through the Oct elections, which would also ensure the freedom of expression to which President Musharraf was committed, he said, claiming that whatever was being done was in accordance with the 1973 Constitution.

Replying to a question, he said he was satisfied with the operation of the country’s missions abroad. He added that the government was implementing a programme under which the resources of the missions would be strengthened, besides a few members of the staff were being recalled and replaced.

The press conference was attended among others by Balochistan Information Minister Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Sindh Information Minister Abdul Qadir Halepota, Punjab Information Minister Dr Mehmood Ahmad, NWFP Information Minister Imtiaz Hussain Gillani and AJK Information Minister Muhammad Masood Khalid.