Attack On PBC, APP Offices Attempt To Silence Media, Shatter Confidence Of State Institutions: Amir Muqam

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political, Public Affairs and National Heritage, Engr Amir Muqam here on Saturday said that attack on the offices of Radio Pakistan and Associated Press of Pakistan at Peshawar was an attempt to silence the voice of media and shatter the confidence of the state institutions

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2023 ) :Advisor to the Prime Minister on Political, Public Affairs and National Heritage, Engr Amir Muqam here on Saturday said that attack on the offices of Radio Pakistan and Associated Press of Pakistan at Peshawar was an attempt to silence the voice of media and shatter the confidence of the state institutions.

He was talking to media persons after visiting the Radio Pakistan Station and Associated Press of Pakistan at Peshawar to express solidarity with its employees and officers following the May 10, 2023 attack.

The violent mob ransacked and put on fire Radio Pakistan's building including an APP Office in its fourth flour besides destroying officials and private vehicles in its promises on May 10, 2023, which caused huge financial losses to both the national organizations.

He said that he came here on the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to express solidarity with the employees of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation.

He said that Radio Pakistan was a national institution that had played a key role during Pakistan Movement and the attack on its station was a deep-rooted conspiracy to silence the voice of the national broadcaster besides tarnishing the country's image globally and demoralizing the state institutions.

Amir Muqam said that the restoration of the transmission of Radio Pakistan has passed a strong message to the attackers that its voice could not be silenced through such nefarious acts.

The PM's Advisor said attacks on state and security institutions, national installations, law enforcement agencies, police, toll plazas on Swat Motorway, ambulances and government/public vehicles on May 9-10 was no service to the country and exposed the evil mindset of the assailants.

He said that an investigation of the attack on the Radio Pakistan building was underway and strict punishment to the accused would be awarded.

He underscored the need to arrest facilitators as well mastermind behind the attack so that no one could dare to do such deplorable acts in the future.

Amir Muqam who is also the provincial president of PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that Imran Khan was arrested in a mega corruption case of Rs60 billion by NAB and violent protests after his arrest was illogical as Islamabad High Court declared his arrest legal.

He said that not a single flower was broken after the disqualification of three times elected Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on the baseless charges of not taking a salary from his son.

He said there was no match between Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan as the former had made Pakistan an atomic power and constructed a network of motorways while the latter deceived masses of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the name of so-called change besides being found guilty of corrupt practices in PTI foreign funding and Tosha Khana cases.

He said that Imran Khan's ill designs to make the leadership of state institutions disputed and controversial would not succeed.

Amir Muqam said that Imran was a certified liar and his bullets drama of Wazir Bagh and the foreign conspiracy narrative was fully exposed before the masses.

He said during the tenure of Imran Khan's government, PMLN and PPP leadership were put into jails without prior investigation in fake cases and were politically victimized.

He said that relief provided to Imran Khan in corruption cases was unprecedented while PMLN leadership was deprived of such relief forcing them to spend a long time in jails despite not a single penny of corruption was proved against PMLN leaders.

He said that justice should be the same for all, adding that Parliament was a supreme institution and its supremacy would be ensured at all cost.

He said the country would make progress only when all state institutions work on its constitutional domain in harmony and cohesion.

Later, the prime minister's Advisor visited the destroyed offices of PBC and APP and assured full support of the Federal Government for the rehabilitation and renovation of the entire building.

He expressed the hope that provinces would also contribute to the rehabilitation and renovation of Radio Pakistan's building being a national heritage and vowed that it would be refurbished more beautifully than before.

Earlier, Station Director PBC Muhammad Ejaz Khan and Bureau Chief APP Peshawar, Fakhar E Alam briefed Engr Amir Muqam about the unfortunate incident and the massive losses incurred to their organizations.

Director General of the Press Information Department, Ashfaq Khalil was also present.