ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said that another attempt of former prime minister Imran Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi, directing “Arsalan Beta” for linking political opponents to treason, had been exposed.
In a statement, the minister said that both versions of the video, the original one and the one produced by Bushra Bibi, were being presented. Bushra made the video and released it to the media on July 30 at 4:28pm, the minister said, adding that the original video was also available with the ARY News channel.
The minister said the video had been sent to the FIA’s cybercrime wing so that those, who edited the video and added voices to it, could be brought to justice. Marriyum accused that the management of ARY News channel should be ashamed of becoming part of Imran Khan’s agenda of spreading lies under the guise of journalism and freedom of speech to divert attention from his corruption. The said news channel always killed the truth and reality, she added.
Taking a jibe at the ARY News, she said: “When illegal contracts worth billions of rupees are being received, then lies will surely be propagated in the guise of journalism.”
This lowly and vile act of Imran was an expression of his mindset, who did not hesitate in telling lies habitually about the sacred concept of Riyasat-e-Madina, as well as about the FATF, corona pandemic, flood, religion, health of political opponents, economy and employment of people, she said.
The minister reminded that the bodies of tourists were lying under the snow in Murree, but Bushra Bibi did not allow his husband and the then PM to pay a visit to the site, and he chose to go on a tour to the mountains instead.
Now, it disturbed Imran’s stomach when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was helping the people in their difficulties, she said, adding that the PTI chairman must be questioning himself that “why does he [Shehbaz Sharif] go to them, why does he sympathise with them?”
She recalled that Hazara community had been awaiting Imran Khan with bodies of their loved ones lying on the road, while he, instead of consoling them, accused them of blackmailing him.
Naeemul Haque and many of his closest friends died, but Imran was not allowed to attend their funerals, she said.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) had witnessed the worst floods and dengue outbreak, but insensitive Imran paid no attention.
Instead of helping the flood victims in KP, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab, Imran and Bushra were busy editing and fabricating the video of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which the minister said was highly lamentable.
Criticising the former prime minister, she said he (Imran) was the one who needed “camera, action and ARY’s light,” not Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, the information minister said that the incumbent government fully believes in the fundamental, democratic and constitutional right of freedom of expression.
Talking to a delegation of the newly-elected office-bearers of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), she said the optimum measures were being taken for the promotion of freedom of expression under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as protecting rights of the journalist community was top priority of the government.
Felicitating the newly-elected office-bearers of the PFUJ, she said the media was the main pillar of the state and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) was the guardian of freedom of media in the country.
The minister expressed hope that the newly-elected body of the PFUJ will live up to the trust of the journalist community and will take all possible steps to solve their problems.
She said that the ministry has received ‘The Journalists and Media Professionals Protection (Amendment) Bill 2022’ and a special committee, having representatives of the Ministry of Information, Law, Human Rights and Media, was working to finalise it.
She said the Ministry of Information has made record payments to the media houses to ensure payment of salaries to the journalists. The journalists’ remuneration was being linked with the payments to the media houses.
The PFUJ delegation informed the minister about the problems faced by the journalist community. She assured to solve the problems of the journalist community.
The delegation included PFUJ President Afzal Butt, General Secretary Arshad Ansari, Finance Secretary Lala Asad Pathan and other officials. Principal Information Officer (PIO) Mubashir Hassan and other officials of the Ministry of Information were also present.