Info minister terms news about more than one camp office ‘pack of lies’

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb dismissed on Wednesday news that the new government had declared any property other than the Prime Minister Office as its camp office as "baseless" and "a pack of lies."

In a statement, the minister said that there is also no truth to news about deployment of police and administrative staff at any place, as per Radio Pakistan.

She urged the media to confirm before publishing such news and asked social media users to reject such negative propaganda.

Govt says it’s revisiting PECA law

Earlier, it was reported that PM Shehbaz Sharif had declared three private houses as camp offices.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shahbaz Gill in a tweet said that Sharif, even before taking the oath as premier, had declared three of his private homes as camp offices. He added that in comparison former PM Imran Khan was not able to build even one camp office during his tenure.

He further said that what money Khan had saved was now being squandered.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Aurangzeb had ruled out setting up the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), saying there was no need for any other regulatory body in addition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

“Whatever work has been done on the ‘black law’ related to the PDMA and in whatever shape it is … it has ceased to exist. We will not bring any black law which violates the citizens’ constitutional right of freedom of expression,” she said in her maiden news conference after assuming charge of the office.

Regarding the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, she said another black law through which the previous government had tried to gag the media and its opponents had been struck down by the court on the petitions filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and multiple organizations.

The PECA, 2016 will be reviewed in consultation with all stakeholders to ensure effective regulation of the social media, she said, vowing that freedom of expression would be protected at all costs.