Minister of state for Information, Broadcasting and National
Heritage Ms. Marriyum Aurangzeb talking to the media outside parliament house
today about news reports regarding promulgation of an Ordinance by the
government to put curbs on the print media and creation of a regulatory body on
the pattern of PEMRA , clarified that neither any such proposal was ever
discussed in the ministry nor she had passed any orders in this regard as
ascribed to her in the letters that were sent to the Press Council by an
officer of the ministry. She said that a formal inquiry had been ordered with a
time-line of three days to find the real culprits who were trying to create
rift between the government and the media and the accused would not be excused.
The minister dissociated herself from the said letters which
formed the basis of the media reports. She said that during a briefing of the
Press Council of Pakistan, when she assumed the charge of the ministry of
Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, she had expressed the opinion
that with a view to facilitate the media and resolving their difficulties
concerning their dealings with the ministry, the office of the Audit Bureau of
Circulation, Press Registrar and Press Council of Pakistan be merged to make it
a one window operation. No formal orders were issued for drafting of any
legislation or ordinance, the minister added. The minister revealed that even
the Prime Minister had also inquired about the issue.
She said that an informal inquiry conducted in the ministry in
the backdrop of the media reports had revealed that a junior officer in the
Internal Publicity Wing had written the letters to the Press Council of
Pakistan for the preparation of the Ordinance, without informing the higher
authorities and adopting the required procedure which was usually done whenever
a legislation or an ordinance was to be promulgated. She said that there
was no record available on the files of the ministry regarding the initiation
of this move and she was really surprised to read the media reports about the
proposed legislation adding that approval of the law ministry was essential
whenever any legislation was required to be done by any ministry of the
government. The minister informed the media that the concerned officer
had been suspended and the head of the Internal Publicity Wing had been made
OSD pending the findings of the formal inquiry. The minister promised that she
would share the findings of the inquiry with the media.
The minister said that she in her capacity as minister for Information
was a representative of the media in the ministry wedded to the cause of
freedom of expression. She said her responsibility was also to improve
government-press relations which were only possible through measures designed
to strengthen freedom of expression.
She posed a question as to how a government which had all along
stood for independence of media could contemplate to gag the media. Reiterating
the media-friendly credentials of the government she reminded that with a
view to facilitate the media and ensuring transparency the government had
refined the Access to Information Bill and had it passed from the Senate which
would now be presented in the National Assembly. The government she said was
also working on a draft legislation for the welfare of the journalists and
ensuring a safe working environment for them, in consultation with all the
stakeholders besides arranging capacity building courses for the journalists in
the Information Service Academy. All these steps, she asserted, were aimed at
facilitating the media and upholding the freedom of expression.
Later talking to a private TV channel the minister said
that the news about the promulgation of an Ordinance came as a surprise to her.
She also explained the background of the episode and the institution of
inquiry. Responding to a question about the role of the Press Council of
Pakistan and the sharing of the responsibility for the faux pas, the minister
said that Council could not be entirely blamed for it as it had prepared the draft
of the Ordinance on the instructions received from an official of the ministry.
The minister said that she had asked the Chairman of the Press Council to
remove from the agenda the item pertaining to the proposed Ordinance. She
conceded the suggestion that it was a very serious issue which needed a
thorough probe and strict action.
The MOS said that she firmly believed that the role of the
Information ministry was to promote a culture of facilitation for the media
rather than creating hurdles in their professional duties. Regarding a question
about the Sharif family not appearing the Ehtesab Court, she endorsed her
earlier statement in this regard maintaining that until and unless the review
petitions were disposed off by the SC there was no point for the family to
appear before the court.