Interior Minister terms RSF report exaggerated

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 30 July 2015

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan criticized the RSF report that ranks Pakistan low on press freedom. He argues the report does not reflect the current security situation in the country.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (pictured) Thursday termed Reporters Sans Frontiers’ report on freedom of press in Pakistan as exaggerated and based on improper understanding of the situation on ground. In its annual report, the RSF has declared Pakistan a dangerous country for journalists. It issued a list of 180 countries ranking them with respect to freedom of press and placed Pakistan on 158th position in the list. “This appears to be an exaggeration and based on improper understanding of the situation on ground,” the minister said while responding to a question in the National Assembly. “The organization has done so without taking into consideration the peculiar circumstances prevailing in the country owing to the ongoing war on terror,” he said. Giving details, he said that as many as 46 journalists have been killed, 18 injured and four kidnapped in all four provinces and Islamabad from 2010 to 2014. “The government attaches high degree of importance to freedom and independence of media as necessary ingredient of a democratic society,” he said. The minister said that if any journalist or a media house faces any threat, a complaint with the National Crisis Management Cell of the ministry can be registered by accessing the dedicated helpline number 1717.