ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Mushahid Hussain Sayed has strongly criticised the Indian government for banning PTV telecast, and said it is unacceptable to any civilised democratic society and against the principles of freedom of information.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Mushahid said, in fact, India has imposed a form of censorship to hide its military failures in occupied Kashmir.

He said the Indians are scared of the truth and describing it as information-cleansing, adding it is the ideological version of Milosevic mentality. This is information cleansing, which no country can accept, he remarked.

The minister said he is grateful to the Indian government and leadership for giving the certificate of credibility and truth to the PTV, adding this truth is hurting the Indians who are lying and hiding the facts. He strongly protested this action of the Indian authorities, and said the ban means India has accepted its moral defeat in the current situation. It has become jittery, nervous and panicky over the situation, he added.

He urged Human Rights organisations for taking an appropriate notice of the act, which, he said, is also against the UNESCO Charter of free flow of information. He said this undemocratic action must be condemned. He called upon Indian intelligentsia, editors, writers, publishers and journalists to take position on this issue. He hoped they will stand up and reject this censorship imposed by authorities in New Delhi. He said Pakistan is not afraid of the Indian propaganda and believes in free flow of information. He said Pakistan can even invite Indian journalists to visit Azad Kashmir but pointed out that no Pakistani journalist had been allowed into occupied Kashmir. The minister made it clear that Pakistan had nothing to hide. He said he has been receiving fax messages from Indian viewers and assured them that they will get PTV via the Internet and that PTV will telecast news every second hour. PPI

Source: The News

Date:6/4/1999