A journalist alleges that he was terminated from his position at Pakistan Television (PTV), a state-owned broadcaster, after posing a critical question to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, highlighting the issue of diminishing space for free media in the country.
Azam Chaudhry, the President of the Lahore Press Club (LPC), had been hired as an analyst by PTV but was swiftly dismissed on the same day. According to Chaudhry, he has not received written communication from his employer regarding his termination.
During a press conference at the Punjab Governor’s House on June 30, where the Prime Minister was addressing the audience alongside federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Marriyum Aurangzeb, the journalist asked a challenging question about when the undisclosed media restrictions would be lifted.
Chaudhry emphasized that his question represented the entire journalist community of the country, as they are currently experiencing media bans across Pakistan. He stated that the present era had seen the worst restrictions on the media and inquired about the timeline and approach for ending these restrictions.
Highlighting the discrepancy between the claims of political parties like PML-N and PPP, who profess to support freedom of expression, Chaudhry expressed his skepticism about their actual commitment to this cause.
In response, the Prime Minister stated that he did not favour restrictions and redirected the question to the information minister, suggesting that Chaudhry should voice his concerns if they were legitimate.
While acknowledging that he did not wish to dwell on the past, the Prime Minister assured Chaudhry that his legitimate concerns should be addressed.
