- Things should be tackled according to their sensitive nature
The Abbottabad Commission report has not been made public keeping in mind the national security, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Tuesday.
“When the right time comes, the report can be published by any government be it of Nawaz-League or any other party,” she said while addressing the workers of Abbottabad Electronic Media Association.
Aurangzeb replied to a question, saying people have a right to know what actually happened, but some things should be tackled in context of their sensitive nature.
On May 2, 2011 the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was killed during a raid in Abbottabad.
Later, a commission was formed to investigate the matter, but its report has not been officially made public yet by the government.
Journalists’ safety
The state minister for information also spoke about journalists’ safety, saying the camera used to report stories is insured but no one cares about the person working behind it.
She said draft for a legislation to ensure journalists’ safety was under way. “The draft will be presented in the national assembly in three months.”
Aurangzeb added reporters and camerapersons work for the country and the rights of its people, therefore, they deserve to be protected.
Moreover, she maintained, when a journalist is hired, media houses seldom invest in their capacity building. Aurangzeb said talks were under way to solve such issues faced by journalists.
In the backdrop of the tension between the civilian government and the military over the Dawn Leaks issue, there have been voices from pro-democracy quarters urging the government not to back down and, instead of acquiescing to the military’s demands about proper treatment of the enquiry, the reports of commissions like the ones of the Abbottabad raid and the attack on journalist Hamid Mir should be made public.