ISLAMABAD, July 26: The government on Wednesday launched a media offensive to mould the public opinion in favour of its domestic and international policies as part of its preparation for the upcoming general election.

At first such interaction, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem Khan and ISPR director-general and press secretary to the president Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan appeared at a joint news conference to touch upon the issues of Balochistan and tribal areas.

Responding to questions, Mr Khan said: “We condemn in strongest terms the Israeli incursions inside Lebanon and we have demanded urgent OIC meeting to discuss and take a unified line of action against the same.”

At the outset, he said “it should not be taken as a news conference but it is part of our policy of enhanced interaction with media and we will hold such gatherings more frequently every week or even earlier.”

He gave a resume of developmental activities initiated in Balochistan, but made it clear that the government would ensure its writ at all costs and no one would be allowed to take law in his hands.

When pressed to name the country backing subversive activities in Balochistan, Mr Khan and Maj-Gen Sultan said: “It is clear to everybody that the said country has set up consulates at places where it should not have under normal practice.”

Referring to a report published in the latest issue of Newsweek about successes and failures of the Pakistan Army in tribal areas, he rejected the notion that the role of Maliks had been weakened due to the presence of armed forces in the tribal areas. He maintained that the emergence of clerics in elections since 1997 had reduced the powers of Maliks.

He criticised some people quoted in the report as tribal experts, saying they might have not visited the areas even for once.

About a letter addressed to the president seeking political conciliation and urging him to quit the army chief’s post, Mr Khan and Maj-Gen Sultan said the issues raised in the letter were already under discussion.

Maj-Gen Sultan said steps were being taken to find a political solution to the tribal issue. However, he said, it would be ensured that no foreigner lived in the tribal areas without registration with authorities concerned.

Answering a question, he said none of those held in Balochistan was a foreigner, except for a few Afghans whose names had been made public.

He spoke about initiatives taken for development of Balochistan.

He said the Quetta airport would have night landing facility in a couple of months.