Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has no plan to withdraw its ministers from Punjab government as the coalition of PPP and Pakistan Muslim League (N) was working not only at the provincial but at the federal level too, said Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Information on Saturday.
The reports of withdrawal of PPP from Punjab government were based on speculations and there was no truth in them, the Minister said while talking to journalists after addressing the first international conference on "Trauma in the changing world; challenges and opportunities" at Convention Centre.
She said that the top leadership of two major parties of the coalition is capable of taking important decisions regarding the coalition and withdrawal of ministers. "So far no such decision was taken by the PPP leadership", she added.
Sherry Rehman contradicted the rumours regarding the withdrawal of nomination papers of Co-chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari for the forthcoming presidential election and termed them as baseless. "We have a strong position as we enjoy support of majority of the members from the Electoral College, then why Asif Zardari should withdraw", she questioned.
Asif Ali Zardari is party's consensus candidate and he would not withdraw from presidential election, as he (Zardari) is a symbol of federation and is a person whose vision helped to form coalition governments at the provincial and federal level, the Minister said.
She asked the media to discourage the extremist element to help bring peace and normalcy to Pakistan. She said that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued a circular, asking the media not to project the banned organisations.
She said that this is not new as civilised world is practising such moves. When a terrorist organisation is banned, media should not project their activities and fulfil their social responsibility. "So we have not imposed any ban on media but a terrorist organisation has been banned and the media should avoid projecting its activities," she said.
The Minister said that it was the PPP which had not only formed a consensus government but also promoted politics of reconciliation. Benazir Bhutto sacrificed for the cause of reconciliation as she tried her level best to eliminate polarisation from the society and to end the disparity in political culture, she added. Benazir Bhutto till her last breath made some difficult decisions, keeping in mind the challenges facing the country and to promote reconciliation, process, she said.
To a question regarding investigation of Benazir Bhutto's assassination through United Nations, she said the government has taken up the matter with the UN but it has its own process and it was working on the case.
PPP government believes in freedom of expression and it has given media a free hand by abolishing the black laws, the Information Minister said, adding, "We think we are facilitator, not regulator and this is not our strategy and motto to impose unnecessary restrictions on the media".
To a question about protests of the legal fraternity, the Minister said protest is a democratic right of every citizen and the PPP government allows the protest, which should be held in a peaceful manner. "The PPP government will never bar anyone from protesting", she added.