Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Thursday were once again barred from holding a press conference inside the premises of Press Information Department (PID).
While addressing the media representatives outside the PID building, PTI leader Naeemul Haq described the government’s action, ‘dictatorial’. He added that PTI had held a press conference inside the PID building during the tenure of Pervaiz Rashid as Information Minister.
The PTI leader said that there are reports that name of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif`s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, is also mentioned in the Dawn Leaks report.
“We demand from the PM Nawaz to release the Dawn leaks report,” he said. “PM Nawaz has become a security risk now.”
Haq expressed his hope that the Joint Investigation Team formed on Panama Papers case under the Supreme Court will complete its work efficiently.
Speaking to a private news channel, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PTI leaders sent a letter requesting for press conference 15 minutes before their arrival at the vicinity.
“We replied to their letter stating the rule of procedure on who could address a press conference in the building. There are rules in the country which everyone needs to adhere to. We told them that Tariq Fazal Chaudhry is scheduled to address the presser.”
The minister said that only government officials can hold a press conference at the PID.
“If they want to do press conference they have to do it along with me,” Aurangzeb remarked. “You can’t pressurise an institution by raising your voice.”
Marriyum Aurangzeb lashed out at the PTI leaders for their rude behaviour and the attempt to gatecrash into Press Information Department for the second time to hold a press conference by flouting rules and regulations, which she said was a well thought out strategy to put pressure on the government institutions.
The minister said the very fact that the PTI made yet another attempt to trespass into an official building notwithstanding the fact that it had been clearly told previously that the rules did not allow holding of press conferences at the PID press center by political parties, as the facility was exclusively meant to be used by the government officials and the ministers, clearly indicated a well-entrenched culture in the party to flout the law.
The officials of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were also stopped from holding a news conference in Press Information Department Building on April 27.
Leaders of PTI, Shibli Faraz and Shehryar Afridi, exchanged harsh words with the administration officials of PID over not being allowed to enter for a news conference
The PTI leaders had also filed a complaint against Marriyum Aurangzeb at Aabpara police station. Responding to this, the police informed that they have received the complaint and it is currently under legal review.