TV channels not bowing to 'phone calls' being muted: Maryam

Although all parties in the 11-party PDM are fiercely critical of the policies of the PTI government and are striving to oust it at the earliest through public pressure, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz lambasted the media policy of the incumbent setup. 

At a ceremony on Sunday, she said the TV channels that did not bow down to the line of "phone calls" are being muted and their licences are being suspended. 

“Phone-call officers also asked media channels to kick out some media anchors”. 

She even named some journalists who were targeted and abducted. 

“All of a sudden the Matiullah Jan and Ali Imran got abducted. This needs to be stopped. For how long media channels will live in fear,” Maryam asked. 

She advised the media to get united and refrain from becoming what she called mouthpiece of anyone. 

The PML-N leader’s criticism of the media policy of the PTI government is absolutely justified. 

In its election manifesto the PTI had committed that it would give complete freedom to the media, no matter what policy they pursue. But they have not stood by their commitment. 

They are using all possible methods to make the media to fall in line. The organizations not following the government’s line have to face various kinds of consequences, some of which are not in public knowledge.  

Not everyone knows that because of the policy of the PTI government, a number of media organizations have laid off many of their employees and imposed salary cuts on others to be able to survive. 

Some organizations even published news about protests against these measures. 

Such developments belie the government claims that the media is absolutely free. 

24NewsHD TV channel has just “tasted the freedom” the government boasts of. It remained off air for some three months and been restored only after court’s intervention. 

Maryam Nawaz also cited the example of Geo TV.  

She said, “I know Geo TV is against us these days and they are being pressured through phone calls but for how long media channels will be used by divide and rule policy. All media channels should be united against such repressive measures against media freedom.” 

The government must realise the importance and benefits of the media freedom and should avoid imposing any curbs on it.  

An independent media will certainly be in a better position to highlight the problems facing the country and the solutions that can rectify them.