PPP not to field candidates against PML (N) leaders in by-polls: Sherry

ISLAMABAD : Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman Tuesday said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would not field its candidates against Mian Nawaz Sharif and other PML (N) leaders during the upcoming by-polls. Leaders of PML (N) are our associates and PPP would continue maintaining the reconciliation culture and strengthening the democracy in the country as it has been restored after a long struggle, she said this while addressing a function organized here to pay tributes to those journalists who struggled and sacrificed for freedom of media during 1977 Marshall Law.
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) and South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) jointly organized the function.
Sherry Rehman said May 13 every year reminds us the day when journalists were lashed 30 years ago during Marshal Law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq.
The Minister said PPP is in contact with PML (N) to convince them and would continue dialogue with its leadership.
She said present government is committed to promoting media and whenever PPP came to power in past it always made efforts in favour of free media.
“It was also dream of our great leader Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to protect and ensure provision of rights of journalists and assured this government would stick to its objective to facilitate media,” she maintained.
On the issue of Wage Board Award, she said this needs joint collaboration of owners, journalists and representatives of civil society, adding that it would organize a tripartite conference next month to get this issue resolved amicably.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sherry Rehman, on the issue of resignation by PML (N) Ministers said PPP led government would not fill the portfolios vacated by them.
She said PPP is still committed to restoration of judges and stands by its pledge to restore pre-November 3, 2007 judiciary, adding there will no change to its stance on judges issue.
She said on assumption of office, the very first action of the present government was to initiate the process to withdraw restrictions against media, adding that any threat to media would be condemnable and pointed out that it was during tenure of the previous government that black laws against press were framed.
“It was PEMRA which was a regulatory body and was misused to control media, but PPP led government is in process to make the PEMRA a supporting and facilitating Body,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the House in Senate, Raza Rabbani said the PPP’s resolve to restore the pre-November 3 judiciary should not be doubted. He said both PPP and PML (N) have no differences over the restoration of the judiciary. The disagreement between the two parties might be on the method of restoration, he said, adding this would be resolved through dialogue in the days to come.
He said being a responsible government that is answerable to the public, the PPP would take along all its partners.
“Both PPP and PML (N) have same goals and these are the restoration of all judges who lost their jobs on November 3, and strong, prosperous and democratic Pakistan,” he said.
On the commitment of the PPP led democratic government towards promotion of media in the country, Raza Rabbani said as soon as came to power, it initiated process to withdraw all black laws against freedom of media.
He also supported the idea of giving constitutional protection to freedom of media.
PML (N) Leader, Javed Hashmi supported freedom of media and said the democratic government has came into existence as a result of sacrifices rendered by journalists.
“Today we should make a pledge to collectively work for the betterment of the country and remove all the obstacles in the way of freedom od media,” he added.
Former Federal Minister, Jai Salik, Secretary General, PFUJ, Mazhar Abbas, RIUJ President, Afzal Butt, Senior journalists Nasir Zaidi and Mustansar Javed also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the problems being faced by the mediapersons in discharging their duties.
They also asked the government to adopt more measures in order to protect their rights and ensure freedom of media in the country.