ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Friday that by sending the reference to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), it had become clear on whose side the government was standing. He said that they always helped the Jang and Geo TV in the time of distress.
Ch Nisar categorically stated that the media trial of armed forces, including the ISI and army, was not acceptable.Talking to newsmen informally here on Friday, he said that no one should misunderstand the government’s stance towards the defence institutions, as it was bound by the law and Constitution to preserve their honour and dignity.
Chaudhry Nisar said the federal government was cooperating with the Sindh Police in its probe into the attack on Hamid Mir but it was unfortunate to see that instead of cooperating in the investigation, a media trial was going on.
He said that Geo and Jang, under the pretext of the attack on Hamid Mir, was playing the roles of the complainant, police, prosecutor and judge themselves.The Indian and the Western media maligned Pakistan after the coverage of Geo, Nisar said and added that the attack on Hamid Mir would be investigated and taken to its logical end.
He said Hamid Mir should have given his statement to the investigation agencies instead of Aamir Mir.He blamed the Islamabad Police for not inquiring into the matter but he didn’t provide any phone number or information to the police, the interior minister added. —Online
APP adds: Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said it was a constitutional and legal obligation of the government to protect the honour of the armed forces and security and intelligence agencies.
Chaudhry Nisar said the government strongly condemned the attack on Hamid Mir and expressed sympathy with his family. He said as an interior minister, it was his responsibility to bring to justice the culprits involved in the Hamid Mir incident.
The minister said it was also his responsibility to ensure that the dignity of defence institutions was safeguarded.He said that the federal government had also set up a three-member judicial commission that would prepare its report within 21 days. The commission would hand over the report to the government, which would make it public, he added.
Chaudhry Nisar said in the statement given by Hamid Mir it was also stated that the Islamabad Police did not take action on his complaint on a threatening phone call received by him. “I ordered an inquiry into it last evening and according to police, Hamid Mir had not provided any telephone number to the police,” he said.
About the incident of planting a bomb underneath the car of Hamid Mir, he said the police arrested the driver of Hamid Mir but he was later released after the TTP accepted responsibility.
Chaudhry Nisar said the media trial should be stopped as it creates misunderstanding. After the attack on Hamid Mir, the ISPR condemned the incident and called for the formation of a commission to hold a probe into it, he added.
The minister said that the government, opposition and security institutions agreed that culprits should be brought to book and without an inquiry and evidence, a media trial should not be carried out, as the enemies would benefit from it.
He said India and the United States had launched huge propaganda in the wake of the incident adding an independent media was the need of Pakistan, however, dignified security institutions were also imperative for the country.
The minister said they should step back, take a deep breath and control the situation. He said that he tried in the past and even now he was trying to cool down the matter, adding he always continued his struggle for an independent media and would always oppose a ban on any media organisation.
He appealed to all sides to show patience and stop the media trial.Chaudhry Nisar said the issue of statement given by the Taliban to malign the top intelligence agency over the Hamid Mir incident was taken up by him with the Taliban nominated committee. He protested to them as, on the one side, a dialogue was being held and on the other side, they were maligning the agency.He said all the intelligence and security agencies were coordinating in the investigation of Hamid Mir incident.
No comments:
Post a Comment