ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb, responding to the criticism directed at the government by the opposition in the backdrop of the decision of the International Court of Justice in the Kulbhushan Yadav case, said that politicking on an issue of national security was against the national interests and “all of us, including the opposition, should speak with one voice on the judgement pertaining to our national security”.
In a statement issued on Thursday, she said that the matter also required responsible reporting by the media.
The minister said that Pakistan fought its case at the ICJ in the best possible manner through a team of competent lawyers and it was wrong to suggest that the government showed any slackness or was not fully prepared to deal with the issue.
Marriyum said that the Ministry of Law was scrutinising the judgement carefully and no compromise would be made on the issues of national security.
She said that action against Kulbhushan Yadav had been taken in consonance with law and the constitution, keeping in view “our national security, as he had confessed to being an Indian spy and a terrorist”.
Separately, the minister congratulated Zia Shahid and Ejazul Haq on being elected the CPNE president and secretary, respectively, and said that the government firmly believed in the fundamental and constitutional right of freedom of expression as it was indispensable for a free and democratic society.
In a statement, the minister said that democracy and independence of the media were sine qua non for each other. She said that the journalist community had played a sterling role in strengthening democracy and democratic norms. Marriyum said that the government would work with an unswerving commitment to promote the media industry.
