Majority party to form government after polls: Kaira
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the majority party would form the government after next elections in the country, adding that the political parties should accept results with open heart in order to ensure smooth democratic transition.
Talking to a private TV channel, the minister said the president is holding a political office and he has the right and privilege to oversee political affairs.He said since the president was elected by the Parliament, so it was incomplete without the president. To a question, he said that President Asif Ali Zardari had worked hard to further strengthen democratic institutions in the country. Kaira said in the past the Presidency was somehow used to destabilise democratic governments.
The minister said that President Zardari delegated his certain constitutional powers to the Parliament and made the provinces and Federation strong for efficient functioning of the democratic institutions.
The minister said that in the past PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and Banazir Bhutto Shaheed had agreed to promote politics of reconciliation in the country. He pointed out that it was policy of reconciliation of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto that led to the consolidation of democratic institutions.
He said it was due to this policy that the present government was going to complete its tenure for the first time in country’s history. Meanwhile, during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Information and Broadcasting held here with Belum Hasnain in the chair, Minister for Information Kaira categorically said that the government had not stopped advertisements of any newspaper or television channel.
“The present democratic government has not stopped advertisements of any newspaper during the last four and a half years. Instead it has provided conductive atmosphere to the media to flourish as we believe in the freedom of press,” he said.
He said that the ministry had no secret funds and all the funds allocated for the ministry were reflected in the budget document. Kaira said that according to the Rules of Business 1973, the ministry was responsible for the policy regarding government advertisements. He said that the government issued advertisements to the national as well as regional newspapers keeping in view their circulation.
He said that the quota of 25 percent of the total advertisements was required to be allocated to the regional papers. Advertisements are released primarily on the basis of circulation, value and standing of the publications in order to obtain maximum publicity for the departments/ organizations, he added.
Kaira said that the government was committed to ensure collective welfare of the journalists and provide them protection so that they could perform their professional duties in the best manner.
He also asked the members of the committee to guide the government and devise a strategy to provide security to the journalist community. “I am ready to implement whatsoever recommended by the committee regarding the security of the journalists”, he added.
On the suggestion of the committee to ban commercials of foreign actors in the country, the minister said that the issue was in the court and it would be better to wait for the decision.
However, he agreed with the members of the committee that local culture should be promoted as the country was rich in the heritage. Kaira said that at many forums it was conveyed to the Indian government that the Pakistan government was allowing their channels and films to operate while they were not reciprocating. The minister said that Pakistan was a responsible country and due to this strategy relations with India had improved. Kaira said that the performance of press attaches deputed in foreign countries was satisfactory. Managing Director of the state-run TV Yousaf Baig Mirza briefed the committee on the functioning of the organisation.
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