Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has condemned the threat hurled by the caretaker Information Minister at the media and demanded apology from the regime for insolent and threatening remarks. Caretaker Information Minister Nisar Memon Saturday warned journalists in Hyderabad, Sindh to 'remain within their limits' and 'not pollute the environment for free elections'.
He also warned them not to tarnish the image of the country through wrong propaganda otherwise action would be taken against them.
The Caretaker Information Minister's warning to the media echoes Pervez Musharraf's warning in London last week to thrash (do tein tika dain) journalists asking difficult questions and is condemned in the strongest possible terms, said spokesperson of the Party former Senator Farhatullah Babar in a statement on Sunday.
He said the image of the country was tarnished not by the media but by Musharraf when he sacked more than sixty judges, detained the Chief Justice and then went touring the world with dossier in hand that the Chief Judge was corrupt.
When it is claimed before journalists in foreign countries that women in Pakistan got themselves raped for visas and dollars, who tarnished the image of the country - the media which reported it or the retired General who painted the nation black, he asked?
He said that the atmosphere for elections had already been polluted by the regime by erecting structures of rigging and the media deserved to be applauded, and not blackmailed, for exposing the structures.
The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) spokesperson said that massive poll manipulation was underway for producing a hung Parliament to secure Parliament's endorsement for Musharraf's illegal acts. The Caretaker Minister's warning was aimed at preventing the media from exposing the rigging plan, he said.
The PPP upholds journalists' right to information and report and calls for the adoption of Freedom of Information of law as demanded by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the journalists' bodies and civil society organisations, he said.