Caretaker govt to fulfill constitutional responsibilities, attack on PBC building unpardonable crime: Jamal Shah

PESHAWAR, Aug 26 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division, Syed Jamal Shah here on Saturday said that the caretaker government would fulfill its constitutional obligations by extending all out support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold free and transparent election in the country.

The Minister said that the main mandate of the caretaker government was to provide the all out assistance to the ECP to hold free, fair and transparent elections in all provinces of the country. He expressed the hope that the ECP would soon announce the date for the general election.

Talking to the media during his visit to Radio Pakistan Peshawar, the minister said that broad day attack on Radio Pakistan and APP Offices on May 10 was an unpardonable crime and demanded strict action against the attackers.

He praised the PBC employees for speedy restoring its transmission after the attack.

The minister said that he would request Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting to rehabilitate the building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar as quickly as possible and assured full support to PBC on behalf of his Ministry.
I have a close association with Radio Pakistan and served at PBC Quetta station programs, he added.

He said there are politicians who spent 30 years in jails but their workers had never attacked national organizations, adding a social media party was exposed before masses after May 9 vandalism.

He said that May 9 vandalism have hurt him the most, adding the misleading people have put on fire the rare archives of musics and dramas transcripts and others record of PBC and had inflicted heavy losses to the national broadcaster.

Syed Jamal Shah said that misleading elements had made a planned attack on Radio Pakistan in a bid to silence the voice of the national broadcaster but failed in their nefarious designs. He said Pakistan is a unique country with diversity in culture, languages and rich history and suggested holding a three to five days international conference on its diversity and heritage for education and Information of people especially, the youth. For this purpose, he underlined the need of the use of digital media tools including videos and documentaries to spread information among youth imperative for a knowledge based tolerant society.

He said that awareness was a source of strength and accurate decisions, adding violence and intolerance was harmful for political and economic stability besides democracy.

He stressed the need of working for mutual coexistence and national harmony. He said Pakistan was our country that gives us everything including identity and every challenge could be countered by working for its prosperity and development.

The Minister said storage of dollars for monetary gains was one of the reason of the country’s shabby economic situation and urged people to avoid storage of dollars and worked tirelessly for economic prosperity of Pakistan.

Jamal Shah said our poets, artists and writers believed on sharing of their knowledge with people and their role in the reformation of society was of paramount importance.

He said great Pashto poets Rehman Baba and Khushal Khan Khattak had used their pen for unity, believe in own abilities and patriotism. 

Earlier, the minister went around the different sections of the burnt building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar where he was briefed by PBC authorities about the May 9-10 horrific incidents, overall damages and rehabilitation plan.

APP/fam-mds