A journalist claims that he was let go from his job at the state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) after asking a pointed query to the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, regarding the country’s diminishing space for independent media.
PTV had employed Azam Chaudhry, the president of the Lahore Press Club (LPC), as an analyst; however, he was fired on the same day after posing a challenging question to the Prime Minister. In response to his termination, Chaudhry asserts that he has not received any written notice from his employer.
During a press conference held at the Punjab Governor’s House on June 30, the journalist asked when the secretive limitations on the media would be lifted. The Prime Minister, along with federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Marriyum Aurangzeb, was present at the conference. Given the current media bans in effect across Pakistan, Chaudhry made sure to emphasize that his question represented the concerns of the entire journalist community in the nation. He informed the Prime Minister that the prevailing era is marked by severe restrictions and inquired about when and how these limitations on the media would cease.
According to Chaudhry, the reality was far different from what all parties, including the PML-N and PPP, claimed to support in terms of promoting freedom of expression. The Prime Minister reacted by denying his favoritism towards limitations and delegating authority to the information minister while urging Chaudhry to express any valid concerns he may have. The Prime Minister admitted that everyone was aware of what had transpired but stated his reluctance to dwell on the past. However, PM Shehbaz assured Chaudhry that his legitimate concerns would be taken into consideration.
 after asking a pointed query to the Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, regarding the country's diminishing space for independent media.){kind=link}