Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has said the government should improve its relations with the media and that he was hoping for good news soon.
“Give me some time. I have my way of working,” Rasheed said while addressing a Ration Distribution Ceremony for porters at Lahore Railways Station.
“I spoke to Prime Minister Imran Khan on this issue a day ago and will talk to him tomorrow again,” Rasheed said. “I strongly believe that ties with all the news organisations in the country should be improved just like the government did with Dawn.”
He added there will be good news for the media before Ramazan.
On Saturday, the railway’s minister had said he had advised the prime minister to reconcile with national media in the light of its responsible coverage of the coronavirus situation in the country.
“I requested the prime minister yesterday to reconcile with media,” he said. “Insha’Allah I will hold a meeting with him day after tomorrow and I will give you positive news [in this regard].”
The minister said he had told the prime minister to bury the hatchet with the media in light of its ‘responsible’ coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. “The media had risen to the task and made people aware of the coronavirus issue through its coverage,” he noted.
“Media in Pakistan is the strongest media. It is also responsible and patriotic,” he said. Rasheed said that more people were watching news channels in Pakistan now as compared to before.
“The previous programmes I used to do [were watched by] six to seven crore people,” he said, adding that that number had increased to seven to nine crore.
“This means that 60% more people are watching TV channels. This 60% of people have nothing else to do but watch TV channels,” he added.
“I extend a hand of friendships from the prime minister towards the Pakistani media,” he had added.
