PESHAWAR, June 7: The Muttahida Majli-i-Amal government wants to maintain a peaceful atmosphere in the province and considers eradication of vices and promotion of virtues in accordance with the tenets of Islam its first and foremost duty.

This was stated on Saturday by provincial minister for information and public relations Asif Iqbal Daudzai in a TV programme aired from the PTV’s Peshawar Centre in Pushto.

Stressing the need for good governance, the minister said that the primary responsibility of any government was to ensure the rule of law and maintenance of good law and order.

In a welfare state, he added, an individual was only required to identify problems while the government was duty-bound to redress them.

Dispelling the impression that the provincial government was following in the footsteps of the Afghan Taliban regime, he said that the MMA government wanted to promote democratic values, adding that it was running its affairs with wisdom and political acumen.

Criticizing the electronic media for promoting what he termed vulgarity and obscenity, he said it was moving against our social and cultural fabric.

Others participants of the programme, including ex-provincial minister Qari Roohullah, religious scholar Dr Meraj Islam and JUI’s provincial secretary Abdul Jalil Jan, also stressed the need of highlighting the teachings of Islam, adding that the print and electronic media should be positively utilized in this regard.

The Islamic society, they said, followed three major tenets including devotion to God, morality, and emphasis on good inter- personal interactions.

They also underlined the need for opening a private TV channel for promotion of Islamic teachings in the province.—PPI