GUJRAT: PML-Q President and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has advised the government to resolve issues related to media through a dialogue and asked Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz to deal with the media in a polite manner.

“As the head of a coalition party, I will ask the incumbent information minister to adopt the policy of negotiations for a better working relationship with the media,” he told Dawn.

Shujaat said steps must be taken to ensure a free working environment for media personnel who had also been facing hardships due to the non-payment of their dues.

Expressing grave concern over some ‘anti-Pakistan’ speeches in the parliament by some members belonging to tribal areas, he said speaking against Pakistan, religion, judiciary and army had become a fashion which should be discouraged.

“I think such people should be removed from the assemblies.”

Recalling history, he said when he was the prime minister of Pakistan, a summary was moved by the then information minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in the cabinet which suggested Rs one million fee for the award of satellite television license.

However, he said he had asked the minister to withdraw the fee proposal and prepare a new summary suggesting a comprehensive code of conduct for satellite TV channels, barring the telecast of any content against the national interest of Pakistan.

Shujaat said that he had also directed the formation of a high-powered committee also having representation of senior journalists to looking into issues related to the breach of national security in the telecast of news channels and the decision of the committee could only be challenged in the Supreme Court.

“The government should implement those proposals decided in the cabinet meeting in July 2004 whereas the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) could be asked to keep a close eye on the telecast of any anti-Pakistan stuff.”

Shujaat said President Ghulam Ishaq Khan had once asked him why the journalists did not write against him (Shujaat) and also wanted to know if he bribed them (journalists).

“I told him that journalists had trust in me that whenever they were in some problem, I would resolve it,” the former PM said.

Asked if there was any considered approach regarding PML-Q’s recent tilt towards religion, the PML-Q chief said his party had naturally been doing so due to some policies or approach of the government like harshly dealing with Tableeghi Jamaat at the start of Covid-19, the decision of construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad etc.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2020