ISLAMABAD: The government would revoke its decision to ease lockdown restrictions if people did not take necessary precautionary measures in markets and workplaces to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Pakistan’s newly appointed information minister, Shibli Faraz, told Arab News on Thursday.
“We expect a lot of cooperation from people since [the lockdown restrictions were eased] for their benefit,” he said. “If people will behave in an irresponsible manner, the government might be forced to impose a stricter lockdown.”
“We have tried to create a balance by saving lives from COVID-19 and protecting the livelihood of people,” he continued. “We will try to keep up the balance by enforcing precautions since we don’t want people to die of hunger as well.”
Faraz said the government was preparing a plan to stabilize the economy and minimize the impact of unemployment by creating new job opportunities.
“Our ministries are tirelessly working on programs to mitigate the suffering of people who have been unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also trying to ensure food security,” he added.
The minister accused the opposition of wasting time in parliament by indulging in blame game over the pandemic, saying that its members should come up with serious policy recommendations instead.
“I asked them in the Senate today what was their plan for COVID-19 and pointed out that they should come up with a solution if they were serious,” he said. “They should tell us if we should impose a curfew and shut down mosques. If they want this, then they should also tell us how to mitigate the adverse effects of these steps on millions of poor people. They have no alternate solution because they know the government is dealing with the problem in the most effective way.”
Asked about his vision for the information ministry, he said that he wanted it to adopt a more global approach.
“We need to revamp our media policy and make it outward looking,” he explained. “We are going to adopt a preemptive approach instead of a reactive one. Our media strategy will be more vibrant and focus on improving Pakistan’s image in the outer world.”
Faraz vowed to enhance effective media presence in the international arena to counter hostile propaganda against Pakistan.
“There are hostile countries which are trying to discredit us by spreading disinformation about Pakistan. We will adopt an aggressive approach in providing counter narrative to such propaganda with better preparation,” he said.
“As far as freedom of press is concern,” he continued, “my approach will be to create a balance. We would like to encourage free but responsible media … I will support the media to work very professionally and in a transparent manner.”
Agreeing that freedom of speech was central to a thriving democracy, he said: “We should try to create an environment where media can work with maximum freedom. We will keep on working on this with all stakeholders, but it is impossible to satisfy everyone.”
