Information Ministry lacks capacity to respond to world media: Fawad

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 June 2019

Fawad Chaudhry expressed concerns over the Information Ministry's capacity to address media inquiries on important issues. He highlighted the effects of poor governance on institutional performance.

Summary

ISLAMABAD – Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Science and Technology, on Tuesday pointed to a lack of capacity of the Information Ministry to explain and respond to world media on vital issues.

Chaudhary, formerly the information minister, said this in a tweet, apparently in the context of a recent BBC story titled ‘Uncovering Pakistan’s secret human rights abuses.’

“We cannot blame BBC and other World media organizations to ignore Pak narrative on imp issues, fact is our attitude to abuild capacity of Info Ministry to explain n respond to World media is seriously lacking, years of bad Governance is reflecting in every institution,” the minister tweeted.

We cannot blame BBC and other World media organizations to ignore Pak narrative on imp issues,fact is our attitude to build capacity of Info Ministry to explain n respond to World media is seriously lacking, years of bad Governance is reflecting in every institution https://t.co/n3eDZsSFqg

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 4, 2019

Shireen Mizari, Minister for Human Rights, recalled a meeting at the PTV Headquarters between the then information minister and the BBC.

“I recall sitting in on a mtg in PTV HQs where the then govt info min was mtg BBC to see if they wld have a more balanced approach to reporting on Pak and India - and BBC made clear Pak would have to match ad revenues to get such an approach!

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) dismissed the BBC story as a “pack of lies and in violation of journalistic ethos. The issue is being formally taken up with BBC authorities,” he said.

Photo: Twitter (@fawadchaudhry)