ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the media in Pakistan enjoyed unprecedented freedom but the government had the problem only with the fake news or propaganda.
“I challenge, no government in the history allowed media to act so freely? I guarantee, almost 70% of total TV programs during the last three years were against the government. I guarantee, 70% news items with angling were against us,” the prime minister said.
Addressing the launching ceremony of the internship program under Prime Minister’s Digital Media Development Program, the prime minister said he had never seen such slander against a prime minister or minister, not even in the western democracies.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, State Minister Farrukh Habib, Special Assistant to PM Dr Shahbaz Gill, Senator Faisal Javed were among the prominent participants besides the newly selected internees.
The prime minister said the free media or free judiciary should not be a matter of concern for the incumbent government if it was not involved in corruption or violation of rules. It was the dictators or the corrupt governments which controlled media and judiciary for their protection, he added.
He said even three major dailies of Pakistan, in their headlines, had alleged that the nomination of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s prime minister was made on the basis of some sort of astrological table.
“Just imagine what could be a slander bigger than that? I would have got damages in millions had this happened in England which I would have given to my charity,” he remarked.
The prime minister urged the internees to never compromise their credibility as the fake news had a limited life and gets discredited within a short span of time. He said the state media in the past was used as a propaganda tool but the youth should improve their credibility through new researches and ideas.
He also urged them to highlight Pakistan’s true vision of an Islamic welfare state which should feature self-respect, humanity, rule of law and justice.
The government has already put the country on the very course as welfare programs under Ehsaas initiatives, universal health coverage, Panagas, low-income house, and efforts to establish the rule of law were among the measures being taken by the government.
He said initiatives like universal health coverage were not available even in the developed countries as it would give Rs1 million health insurance cover to a family.
The prime minister said the youth had never got such opportunities like in the digital era where youngsters became billionaires even at age of 25.
Citing his success story during his cricketing career, he said no individual could excel in life unless he realizes his potential, never gave up the struggle and came up with new ideas.
Imran Khan also advised the youth to live a life to serve humanity, as great leaders like Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Sufi saints, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Nelson Mandela were remembered yet only because they lived for humanity.
