ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday the government did not believe in imposing media restrictions, though it wanted news outlets in the country to play their role with greater responsibility.
Last month, the government passed an ordinance amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to increase the jail term for defaming any person or institution on social media from two to five years and make it mandatory for courts to decide such cases within six months.
The ordinance was challenged by media associations and the Islamabad High Court said it was against Article 19 of Pakistan's constitution which deals with freedom of speech, expression and the press.
Addressing a news conference in Sindh, Qureshi said the government was willing to discuss the issue with media representatives to address their concerns.
"There is no harm in discussing it threadbare, as the PTI is not unmindful of media's role which is being seen the world over," he said.
Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to "beware of advisors who are trying to create a gulf between the government and the media."
"I fail to understand why media institutions have been targeted when the prime minister has tasked me to sort out matters related to PECA ordinance between the government and media houses," he said in a Twitter post.
Elahi is also a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) party which is a major government ally in the center and Punjab province.
The prime minister also visited Elahi's residence during a recent visit to Lahore as opposition parties pledged to table a no-trust motion in the National Assembly to bring down the government.
