PTI rejects Pemra bill, vows to defend media freedom
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Saturday rejected the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Amendment Bill 2023 and vowed to thwart all attempts to arrest and undermine media freedom come what may.
The PTI spokesman, strongly reacting to the Pemra Amendment Bill, alleged that the ‘puppet government’ held in abeyance the Constitution for the last 15 months and unleashed a reign of terror to silence the sane dissenting voices in the country.
He said the PTI being the only federal and the largest political party in the country would resist any such effort to curtail the freedom of expression and would raise voice in support of press freedom in the country at all fora.
The spokesman contended that imposing censorship to control the media and free speech was unacceptable, adding that the ‘puppet government’ proved to be the worst exploitative and anti-constitutional government in the history of the country.
He went on to say that in the absence of the largest representative political force of Pakistan, the legislation by the government had no value, adding that suppression of freedom of expression was the topmost agenda of the government imposed through a conspiracy.
The spokesman said that the sensitivity of the issue could be judged that an illegal, unconstitutional and unjustified ban was imposed on broadcasting the name, statement, photo and speech of the head of Pakistan’s largest political party and former PM Imran Khan.
The spokesman said that the media had been forced to promote and publish specific narratives by making dissent a punishable crime, adding that Pemra, being an ally of criminals, supported the hateful media campaigns against the PTI and the government’s critics in the country.
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan termed PDM a fascist government that opened a floodgate of inflation and did nothing for the masses. Omar stated that the gravity of the situation could be judged by the fact that flour jacked up from Rs60 to Rs170 per kg, and sugar went from Rs85 to Rs150 per kg.
Similarly, he compared that the petrol price surged from Rs150 per litre to Rs255 per litre and dollar upped to 290 from 170. He added that the electricity per unit rate went up to Rs50 from Rs16 per unit and in a few days, it would jump to Rs58 per unit.
Omar Ayub noted that the interest rate witnessed an alarming upsurge, which increased from 8% to 22%. He said the PDM ruling clique compounded the miseries of the people manifolds because they were little bothered about the state and public interests.
Source: The News
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