- Punjab minister says proposed media policy being finalized; RTI Bill to be presented in provincial assembly; journalists to get best possible facilities to perform duties
RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyazul Hassan Chohan on Monday said that India was trying to create war hysteria to divert the attention of Indians and the world powers from real issues and it has become a threat for the peace of the entire region.
Talking to journalists at the meet the press programme here, he said that Indian threats to Pakistan were just election stunt to divert its own public attention and being used for the upcoming Indian polls. He said that everyone knows that Pakistan’s armed forces were one of the best among five world professional forces and 220 million people were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the army.
He said that the government and the forces were on the same page. He said that the Indian Army chief was giving irresponsible statements. India has been told that such statements would only worsen the tension, he said, adding that these statements invite reaction and counter-reaction. He said that India has been advised not to create an ‘atmosphere of uncertainty’ as regional issues cannot be resolved without peace and dialogue.
Chohan said that India should not underestimate Pakistan’s conventional and non-conventional military strength. He warned India of a response in case of any misadventure across the board and said nobody should underestimate the capability of the country’s armed forces. “If India tried for any misadventure, then it will be responded,” he added. Pakistan has played a positive character for peace in the region, he said.
The provincial minister said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not given American visa in 2005 and declared killer of the Muslims of Indian Gujrat. He said that nearly 800 million Indian citizens do not have toilet facility and most of the Indian spent their nights on the railway stations, footpaths and other open places but, their leaders were creating war hysteria for their political interests.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa had offered talks and dialogue process to restore durable peace in the region, he said. Pakistan wants to resolve long-standing disputes through dialogue process, he said. “The offer of dialogue should not be considered our weakness as Pakistan is a nuclear state and the armed forces are fully-equipped with the latest weapons and missiles,” he said.
No one can dare to impose war on Pakistan, he said. Actually, the Indian prime minister was trying to divert the attention of the Indians from its own government’s mega corruption scandal through propaganda against Pakistan, he said. He strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian forces on the civilian helicopter carrying AJK Prime Minister Farooq Haider and members of his cabinet, near the Line of Control.
Chohan said that this act displays India’s insecurities and has exposed their aggressive posturing and warmongering. He said such manoeuvres by the Indian government and the forces were aimed at diverting attention from the real issue of Kashmir and the grave human rights violations taking place in Indian side of Kashmir. To a question, he said that the federal and provincial governments were striving hard to provide relief to the citizens.
Some elements were spreading rumours against the government, he said, adding that they were involved in baseless propaganda against Imran Khan and his team. He said that Federal Minister for Finance Asad Umar was also making all possible efforts for the revival of the national economy but, the results would take nearly two-month time.
To another question, the provincial minister said that the proposed media policy of the Punjab government was being finalised and the journalists would be provided the best possible facilities to perform official duties. A right to information bill was also being presented in the provincial assembly, he said. The government under the new media policy would ensure timely payments of salaries to the media workers, he said.