ISLABABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Saturday said "government does not intend to curb media freedom as democracy and media independence goes hand in hand".
In a statement she said the government wanted to empower media to strengthen democracy, but media without law and democracy could not flourish.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government strongly believes in freedom of expression and media but the freedom must be coupled with responsibility and in conformity to societal norms, she said.
The credit of lifting curbs on media imposed by previous dictatorial regime goes to the present government,she observed.
Brushing aside the impression created by a news item regarding the imposition of sanctions on media, she said Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has always framed laws to facilitate media but not put curb on media freedom.
She said the government is in constant liaison with the concerned stakeholders before making or formulating any policy, law or regulations.
There is not a single clause in proposed Content Regulations that may be presumed anti-media.
All the media rules and regulations either framed or amended have been in consultation with the stakeholders, so how can the government contemplate to curb or muzzle the media which is its own creation and for which PEMRA has been given the mandate to flourish, the Minister said.
Government witnesses hue and cry from civil society and stakeholders on daily basis whereby PEMRA is criticized for not discharging its functions adequately. On the contrary, whenever it takes initiative in interest of public, country or media itself, there starts accusations against government and PEMRA of "media curbs".
She said it is unfortunate that each and every step of the government is perceived negative and propagated as arbitrary sanctions on media.
This is never appreciated that present democratic government has been the biggest proponent of "self regulation" and the massive spurt of electronic media that country has witnessed today is result of government's media friendly policies.
She said that one cannot criticize the government and PEMRA for performing their functions which is to offer larger framework of policy and regulations to its licensees, because it's about a decade that PEMRA has been in existence and has been framing policies, rules and regulations for private electronic media which is its prime obligation.
Nevertheless, the policies are adopted and implemented by the licensees at their own and PEMRA or government has never intervened to freedom of media, the Minister said.
She said that there is no harm if the request is made to media to insure balanced, objective and unbiased converge and to preserve the sanctity of religions, any sect, ethical values, morality and decency.
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