Minister lashes out at media houses for playing up load-shedding protests

JournalismPakistan.com | Published 10 years ago

Join our WhatsApp channel

Minister lashes out at media houses for playing up load-shedding protests

ISLAMABAD: Federal Defense Minister Khawaja Asif Monday lambasted the media houses for playing up protest demonstrations against electricity load-shedding.

Speaking in the National Assembly, he said the presence of electronic media and cameramen at the protest venues encourage the protestors to resort to violence and burn public property.

“The journalists should also try to do some investigative journalism instead of just filming the protestors and showing them to their viewers,” he said.

The minister said the media houses should also show other side of the picture to their viewers as to why the government has been carrying out load-shedding of over 18 hours in a specific area.

“We are left with no option but to observe excessive load-shedding in the areas where our line losses have reached over 90 percent,” he said.

Asif said the people in some parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Punjab and Interior Sindh don’t pay their bills but immediately start protests against the government when they aren’t provided electricity.

“It’s incumbent on the media to inform their viewers about the line losses and electricity-theft as well instead of just playing up the protests for sensationalism,” he said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Khalil George also complained the media was not treating those killed in Lahore twin blasts fairly. "The media should also call the Christians killed in the suicide bombings as martyrs as they call the Muslims," he said.

Explore Further

Talat Hussain says offensive viral clip was edited out, not aired on Samaa TV

November 04, 2025: Talat Hussain denies airing the viral clip showing Sher Afzal Marwat’s vulgar remark, saying it was not part of his Samaa TV show.

PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007 emergency as Pakistan’s darkest day

November 03, 2025: PFUJ recalls November 3, 2007, as Pakistan’s darkest day under Musharraf, urging protection for journalists and the abolition of laws threatening press freedom.

PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.

Global impunity for journalist murders worsens as Pakistan sees 60 percent rise in attacks

November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.

Pakistan Press Foundation documents 137 attacks on journalists in 2025

November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.

Anchor Talat Hussain laughs as Marwat makes vulgar comment on air

November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.

Why was this DawnNews TV journalist targeted in a foiled murder plot?

October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.

CPJ calls on Pakistan to prosecute killers of journalist Imtiaz Mir

October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.

Newsroom

Moldovan journalist Mariana Rață receives death threat after interview

November 04, 2025 TV8 journalist Mariana Rata in Moldova receives a death threat after interviewing politician Renato Usatii on-air, raising concerns about journalist safety.

Indonesia’s agriculture minister faces backlash over lawsuit against Tempo

November 03, 2025 Global journalist unions condemn the Indonesian agriculture minister’s lawsuit against Tempo, calling it a threat to press freedom and demanding that the case be withdrawn.

All About Macau to cease print and online operations amid mounting pressure

November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.

Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for three-and-a-half years over 'extremism' charges

November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.

Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran found murdered; CPJ demands justice

November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.