LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Wednesday became embroiled in a controversy for issuing “job threats” to journalists ahead of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s press conference.

A clip that went viral on social media showed Ms Bokhari asking the journalists not to make “noise and nuisance” in the CM presser.

“But if someone misbehaved and created nuisance I would not spare. If I complain which I usually don’t (your) jobs might be at stake,” she warned them.

Responding, a number of journalists took to social media platforms and condemned the minister for hurling threats to journalists that her complaint could result in their sacking and they should not protest if they did not listen to her or asked tough questions from the chief minister.

Lahore Press Club former secretary Babar Dogar told Dawn it was painful that a minister for information was threatening journalists and sought an apology from her.

Dogar said on one hand the minister would boast about free media in Punjab but on the other she was herself threatening the journalists.

He said that the information ministry should rather take measures to provide job security to journalists.

Later, the minister uploaded the full clip of her conversation with journalists on her X account to explain the context in which she had sounded the warning to media people covering the news conference.

In the earlier part, she is seen telling the journalists to “behave” and maintain discipline in the presence of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. “Make this her first presser and not the last,” she tells them before hurling job threats to them.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2024