PM asks PTI spokesmen to be humble and respectful towards media, opposition

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan wants change in the media strategy of his government and has asked all PTI spokesmen to be humble and respectful with no sign of arrogance in their interaction with the media as well as the opposition.

A meeting on media strategy, chaired by the prime minister on Monday in PM Office, also decided that the PTI government representatives and leaders should be respectful in their response to question and objections raised by both the media persons and the opposition.

In the same meeting, it was decided to appoint former MNA Nadeem Afzal Chan as PM’s spokesman. Informed sources said that the information ministers at the centre and in Punjab- Fawad Chaudhry and Fayazul Hasan Chauhan- who also attended the meeting were also told to change their tone.

The message was that the PTI is now not in opposition but in the government and thus needs to change its mode. Nadeem Afzal Chan, when contacted by this correspondent after the issuance of notification announcing his appointment as PM’s spokesman, confirmed that the PTI government has changed its strategy as Prime Minister Imran Khan has emphasised on all concerned not to sound arrogant, be humble and respectful towards others.

Chan said that the government and PTI representatives, who appear on TV channels and interact with the media, have also been told by the prime minister that they should be polite with the media persons and be respectable with the opposition members during their discussions in talk shows.

Chan added that PTI media team has also been told to educate the people about the problems facing the nation and inform them what solutions the government is working on.

According to a PTI source, who attended the Monday’s meeting, KP government’s Information Minister Shoukat Yousafzai and Nadeem Afzal Chan were the two participants who had insisted upon the change in media and political strategy of the PTI government. The source said that Yousafzai was of the view that while in government, the PTI should avoid provoking the opposition. It is said that Chan also urged the need of responding to media and opposition’s criticisim through arguments and presentation of facts.

The source said that Finance Minister Asad Umar was also present in the meeting. Those representing the PTI government in the media were told to be informed about the government’s economic policy and its strategy in order to defend the regime and educate the people how the fundamentals of the country’s economy are being corrected.

So far the PTI government has been in the opposition’s mode and for the same reason has been criticised by all and sundry. Instead of striving for political stability, which is critically important for better environment for investment and business activities, the PTI leaders have been missing no chance to provoke the opposition and irritate the media.