Zardari’s dictatorship in force in Sindh: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Friday said the leadership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) kept reciting the mantra of upholding democratic norms round the clock but ironically they were least bothered about observing democratic principles in Sindh.

“If no observance of democratic principles was done in any province, it was Sindh,” he tweeted. In Sindh - the dictatorship of Zardari family is in force, as after usurping the Public Accounts Committee, now the Leader of the Opposition in the province has also been barred from speaking on the budget which shows the real color of ‘Zardari democracy’, “ he said.

Meanwhile, talking to Ambassador of Japan Kuninori Matsuda here, Fawad stressed early implementation of Pak-Japan joint projects of modernization and technical upgradation of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

The minister said both the countries enjoyed a vibrant all round six-decade partnership nurtured by successive generations of top echelons of leadership.

"We grew up while using Japanese technology and products globally known for their first class quality and durability,” he said. The minister said the state-run PTV, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) were being transformed to meet contemporary requirements in a fast changing world.

The government is determined to turn the APP into a premium digital news agency on the pattern of well-known leading international news agencies, he added. Some 11 modern studios will be established in different major cities of the country with the aim to create and strengthen a state of the art and flourishing video news service of APP.

The minister also informed the ambassador regarding the government’s initiative to establish a Media Technology University and said Japan’s cooperation to extend support to train human resource will be vital in terms of providing technical know-how.

Fawad also emphasized the need for cooperation between the two countries in the realm of gaming and animation, as it could add another feature to the ever strengthening bilateral economic relations.

He also proposed joint ventures with Japan in the fields of film, drama, podcast and joint productions. The ambassador and the minister discussed in detail the status of ongoing joint initiatives between Pakistan and Japan in the avenues of media and information. Kuninori Matsuda expressed Japan’s keenness for collaboration in the areas of gaming and animation.