Islamabad: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Pakistani media has challenged Prime Minister Imran Khan to prove his “scandalous allegations” that media houses have been bought by political parties and some were being funded by foreign sources, Dawn reported.
Khan made these allegations in a public address on Sunday.
In a statement, the JAC said the Prime Minister’s statements amount to accusing the media of corruption.
If these allegations cannot be proved “within a reasonable time”, the committee reserves the right to approach the judiciary for relief, it warned.
It requested Khan not to make such statements for “political point scoring”.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also sought an apology from the Prime Minister over the allegation that media houses were receiving funds for “anti-government campaigns”.
In a statement, PFUJ president Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi expressed outrage over the “baseless remarks”, saying “it is surprising the head of the government is using a public forum for spreading unfounded allegations against the media and the journalist fraternity instead of ordering an investigation”.
They urged Khan to order an inquiry through the FIA or a judicial commission instead of spreading “fake news”.
