Former rulers used ads as political tool: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday accused former rulers of using media advertisements as political tool.

Briefing a high-level meeting on media, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry said the previous governments used advertisements as a leverage to influence media and took political advantages. He said that PTI’s government will not follow the policy and will end government’s control on advertisements.

Fawad accused the previous rulers of destroying the media industry and added that the PTI government will introduce a merit-based policy on government’s advertisement.

The minister told the meeting that the PM’s had directed to release arrears to media houses and added that the step will help stable the media and will put positive effects on the industry.

It is pertinent to mention here that Fawad Chaudhry, on November 11, had said that the government believed in freedom of media.

Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, Fawad had said the current government ended every kind of censorship on media and making efforts for fair distribution of government advertisements in consultation with the media people.

He urged the media organizations to present a formula so that the government cannot use advertisements as a leverage to influence media.

Chaudhry Fawad said the government will introduce a new media regulatory authority to regulate all types of media.