CPNE delegation calls on governor, CM, Speaker

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is the custodian of indiscriminate accountability in the country.

Talking to the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) and senior columnists in separate meetings at the Governor’s House here on Wednesday, he said all and sundry including parliamentarians and the prime minister were answerable before the law, adding that the government believed in zero tolerance on corruption. Sarwar said merit and accountability were the top priority of the PTI government, adding that merit would also be implemented in distribution of advertisements to media houses and it would not be used as tool for opinion making. Acknowledging the role of media in strengthening democratic institutions, he said the media should guide the government, adding that the government would welcome their criticism with a smile.

Meanwhile, the CPNE delegation also called on Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office here on Wednesday. During the meeting, various matters including overall situation in the country, political matters and problems faced by the newspapers industry came under discussion. At the outset, the chief minister said the multifarious role of the media was critical with regard to identification of problems as it was the fourth pillar of the state that also guided the government. “And I believe that the constructive criticism by the media guides the government in different ways. We have identified our targets and are working hard to achieve them. Our approach is constructive and we are moving towards the right direction,” he said.The CPNE delegation congratulated Sardar Usman Buzdar on assuming the post of chief minister Punjab and said Prime Minister Imran Khan made a beautiful selection by assigning this duty to “you as you are a straightforward person”. Punjab Minister for Information Fayyazul Hasan Chohan, Aoun Chaudhry, Akram Chaudhry, the secretary information and the DGPR were present.

Also on Wednesday, the CPNE delegation called on Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi who said the media was free today, journalists were brave and patriot and “we have always supported them”.

He said this while speaking at a dinner hosted in honour of the CPNE here. Those present included President Arif Nizami, Zia Shahid, Imtenan Shahid, Ayaz Khan, Rehmat Ali Razi, Ejazul Haq, Kazim Khan, Irshad Ahmad Arif, Tanvir Shaukat, Yousuf Nizami, Babar Nizami, Zulfiqar Ahmad Rahat, Ahmad Shafiq, Ali Ahmad Dhillon, Syed Intezar Hussain Zanjani, Muazzam Fakhar, Ovais Rauf, Abid Alim, Aslam Mian, Malik Liaquat Ali, Bashir Ahmad, Naushad Roy, Bashir Ahmad Khan, Zubair Mahmood, Waqas Tariq Farooq, Muhammad Akmal Chohan, Imtiaz Ahmad Roohani, Arshad Khan Rehani and MA Rauf among others.