=> ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Minister Nisar A
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Minister Nisar A Memon on Thursday urged media bodies to call off their strike as a confidence-building measure (CBM) as the government was in touch with all the media organisations to resolve media-related issues.
“The media is free and its freedom would stay. The government is in touch with all the media bodies, including the PFUJ, CPNE, APNS and the PBA. As the government is waiting for proposals from the media bodies to amend the code of conduct and lists of the FIRs registered against journalists, the media organisations should call off their strike as a CBM,” the minister said while talking to reporters here after the annual day function of the Smart School System here.
He said the interim government was mandated to hold free, fair and impartial polls and it had taken initiatives to create an enabling environment for the upcoming polls. The minister said the interim government would consider any demand from the ARD and APDM.
“The government has created an enabling environment for holding free and fair polls by facilitating the return of exiled politicians. Now as those political parties have sat together, we respect their opinion and if they submit any demand, the government would consider it. However, the decision whether they want to submit their demands to the president, the caretaker government or the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has to be taken by them,” he said.
The minister said in categorical terms that elections would be held on time and there would be no delay even of a single day. The election commission has released the election schedule and all the government organs would facilitate the ECP in this regard, he added.
The minister reiterated the president had announced that emergency would be lifted and the 1973 Constitution would be restored by Dec 16.
Source: The News
Date:12/7/2007
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