PFUJ slams ministers' mocking statements

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has slammed and rejected vehemently statements of Federal Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Minister of State Farukh Habib, who are on a mission to spread and promote fake news on PFUJ’s position on the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA). In a strongly-worded joint statement on Tuesday, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secratery General Nasir Zaidi showed serious concern over the behavior of both the cabinet ministers, who are supposed to promote freedom of press and free speech and expression, beside responsible and credible journalistic practices but have become source of fake news and third grade tactics of propaganda by using irrelevant persons who are in the habit of using the name of PFUJ for their own personal gains. "We have already conveyed our resentment, concerns and position on PMDA and rejected it outright and vehemently as we are the only represented and recognised federal body of media,” they reminded.

The PFUJ leadership said that it was astonishing that the members of the federal cabinet, holding portfolio of responsible and an important ministry of the state, are using fake drawing room bodies consisting of unrepresented and un-elected persons who are just misusing the name of PFUJ on the behest of unknown hands and for personal agenda, which is unacceptable and rejected. “We along with key stakeholders of media and civil society have completely rejected as draconian and unacceptable both the government proposals to create a new authority (PMDA), which is evidently for suppressing all the spectrum of media,” they said.

"We, in our all stances, publicly and on all the forums demanded amendments in all the existing laws which can be done through the parliament after extensive discussions and dialogue with all the stakeholders of the media industry," they said.

“We demand the prime minister of Pakistan to take notice of the conduct of both the ministers who are not only defaming his government and discrediting him but also bringing a bad name to the country worldwide as PMDA and current state of freedom of press, free speech and expression in Pakistan are being criticized globally,” they urged.