Summary Federal Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that there was no ‘super committee’ to hold talks with Taliban.
LAHORE (APP) - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid on Sunday said there was no ‘super committee’, in addition to the government committee, to hold dialogue with the Taliban.
Talking to senior journalists and intellectuals at a forum on “Current Situation in the Country and Role of the Media” held under the auspices of Hameed Nizami Society at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal, he ruled out that any ‘super-committee’, comprising the Prime Minister, the Interior Minister and an advisor, was functional to hold talks with the Taliban.
The minister denied media reports, saying there was no reality in this regard.
Pervaiz Rashid said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was the focal person of the dialogue process.
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif himself got briefings on the progress of the government committee on dialogue with the Taliban, which were also attended by the Defence Minister, he added.
Regarding terrorist attacks by Taliban outfits despite the ongoing talks, the minister said pro-dialogue Taliban had disowned these acts of terrorism.
“Let the dialogue with Taliban complete”, he said and added the government would take action against those, who did not opt for talks and peace.
Regarding foreign content on Pakistani TV channels, Pervaiz Rashid said the PEMRA laws allowed the local channels to air foreign content of 10 percent of its time, while the foreign channels with landing rights could use 100 percent of their time to air foreign content. He said such channels had misused PEMRA laws.
He invited suggestions from media houses, APNS, PBC, SAFMA, journalists and civil society so that the government could implement them regarding change in PEMRA laws on airing foreign content.
