Chaudhry Shujaat opposes speaking, writing against national interests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that had his proposed code of conduct about satellite TV channels in July 2004 approved and implemented then today no one would have dared to broadcast anything against national interest.

“I had suggested as the prime minister that the Information Ministry should draft a comprehensive summary and form a committee comprising people from all school of thoughts and journalists and anyone committing violation of the code of conduct should be produced before this committee and if crime is proved then committee should suggest punishment according to offense and Pemra should get it implemented, while appeal against this punishment should only be heard in the Supreme Court,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Shujaat said that his objective was not only a fee of Rs50 lakh but also get approved along with this summary that nobody should say, write and broadcast anything against the national interest of the country.

He said rather these laws should be applicable on every person, party or anyone else who publicise, print or get printed anything against the national interest and in some very grave cases in which complete and concrete proofs are there then punishment of hanging can also be awarded without any discrimination. “I wanted that this to be approved during my tenure as a prime minister but it could not happen,” he said.