Information minister rejects journalist’s claim of being fired from PTV
the minister said journalist Azam Chaudhry was never hired by PTV as a permanent or contract employee.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has rejected a journalist’s claims that he was fired from state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) for asking Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a critical question.
While addressing a presser in Peshawar on Tuesday, Marriyum Aurangzeb said journalist Azam Chaudhry was never hired by PTV as a permanent or contract employee.
“I know Azam Chaudhry and aware of his views but despite this, he was invited to [PM Shehbaz] presser and allowed to ask a question,” Aurangzeb said.
“if there had been any reservations on journalist’s view, he would not have been invited to the press conference,” she added.
She said Chaudhry was part of the PTV’s analyst poll since last September and he is still part of the same panel at the state broadcaster.
Journalist Chaudhry, who is also a president of Lahore Press Club, claimed he lost his job at PTV after he asked PM Shehbaz a critical question, raising the issue of “shrinking” space for free media in the country.
On June 30 Azam Chaudhry asked the prime minister, who was addressing a press conference at the Punjab Governor’s House along with federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Marriyum Aurangzeb when the unannounced restrictions on the media will be lifted.
Chaudhry said that his question is on behalf of the entire journalist community of the country as in the present era “we are facing media bans all over Pakistan.”
“The current period is the worst related to restrictions,” he said and questioned PM when and how the restrictions on the media will end.
Chaudhary said that all the parties, including PML-N and PPP, claim supporting freedom of expression, but this is far from reality.
In response, the prime minister said that he was not in favor of restrictions and passed the buck to the information minister.
“If you have something legitimate to say, please speak up.”
The PM said that he does not want to look into the past, but what happened is known to everyone.
However, PM Shehbaz Sharif told Chaudhary that his legitimate concerns should be addressed.
PNN News: The controversy surrounding the removal of Senior Journalist Azam Chaudhry from his job at PTV
– Here is the video of the question that Senior journalist and President of the Press Club Azam Chaudhry put in front of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on June 30 👇… pic.twitter.com/Me9GDqtmNF
— PNN News (@pnnnewspk) July 11, 2023
