The claims of a journalist that he was sacked from state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) after asking Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a challenging question have been refuted by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.
On Tuesday, the minister said during a news conference in Peshawar that journalist Azam Chaudhry had never been engaged by PTV as a permanent or contract worker.
Journalist Chaudhry, who is also the president of the Lahore Press Club, claims he lost his position at the government-run PTV after he questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz critically and brought up the concern of the “shrinking” space for independent media in the nation.
“I am familiar with Azam Chaudhry’s viewpoints. but despite this he was invited to [PM Shehbaz] presser and allowed to ask a question,” Aurangzeb told the press.
The minister continued by saying that he would not have been called to the press conference if there had been any doubts about the journalist’s point of view.
According to Chauhdry, the PTV hired his services, but after he asked a challenging question, he was fired without having received a written notice from his employer till now.
When the unexpected media limitations will be abolished, the journalist had questioned the prime minister, who was speaking at a press conference on June 30 with federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Marriyum Aurangzeb.
In his query, Chaudhary stated that he was speaking on behalf of all Pakistani journalists since “we are currently facing media bans all over Pakistan.”The current period is the worst related to restrictions,” and he enquired as to when and how the media limits will be lifted.
The prime minister replied that he opposed limitations and referred the issue to the information minister.
Although the prime minister claimed he did not want to dwell on the past, everyone is aware of what had occurred.
But Chaudhary was informed by PM Shehbaz that his valid concerns will be taken into consideration.
