Islamabad                 -               Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq has regretted linking the arrest of a media owner by National Accountability Bureau with the freedom of media and termed it unethical.

Addressing a news conference here on Friday, she said that the government strictly believes in freedom of media and is taking all out steps to facilitate the media community.

She said rule of law and empowering state institutions is the essence of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 22-year struggle. The Special Assistant said that state institutions are playing their unbiased role under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

She said that correlating the arrest of a specific person on an allegation of some business wrongdoings with freedom of media, was not only unjustified but also against journalistic ethics and norms. She said that a media house was trying to link the government with arrest of its group editor-in-chief at the hands of National Accountability Bureau. Firdous said that since the matter was subjudice, it was not justified to hold “media courts” on the issue as it is tantamount to an attempt to influence the judges of the court.

She said that both the parties should present their evidences in the court of law and media debate on the issue should be avoided.

She said that the government had come to know about the arrest of Mir Shakilur Rehman from the media, and did not react as the matter was related to National Accountability Bureau, which was an independent institution.