ISLAMABAD – Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar Tuesday called on the media to exercise caution while discussing issues related to the country’s foreign policy amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
He cited “unease” voiced by “friendly countries” as the reason seeking media cooperation on the subject. Addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Ataullah Tarar and Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry, the law minister stressed the need for caution in the “narrative on these matters on social media, electronic media, and print media”. “As a nation, we must keep in mind that we have to keep the constitution and Pakistan’s foreign policy under consideration when expressing our views,” he said.
The press conference came against the backdrop of US-Israel aggression on Iran starting February 28, prompting retaliatory strikes from Iran on neighbouring countries, which house US bases.
Talking about the recent escalation in the Middle East following US-Israeli attacks on Iran, Tarar said that the analyses coming out of Pakistan had caused “unease on diplomatic fronts from at least a friendly country or some other corner”. “We have been asked if this was Pakistan’s stance or an individual one,” he added.
At the outset of the presser, Tarar reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the tensions in the Middle East, stating that the country had been pushing for efforts to “find a diplomatic solution” to the conflict. In light of the prevailing situation, the minister urged the need to be careful in the “narratives coming from media as well as social media”. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state. It has an essential role to play in the region; it has its own identity and its own stance in terms of its defence and foreign policy,” the minister maintained. “Creating sensationalism to gain views is harmful. In the current situation, spreading sensationalism is not a service to the country,” he said.
Reading Article 19 of the Constitution aloud, the minister said it guaranteed freedom of expression, stressing that there would be “reasonable restrictions” on it under the law. “You have the fundamental right to freedom of expression, but you must be careful when it comes to the glory of Islam, the integrity, security and defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, and friendly relations with foreign states.”
Tarar maintained that while it’s the right of every Pakistani to “express their opinion, we must not forget the limits laid out in the constitution”. “As far as Pakistan’s foreign policy is concerned and its relations with the Gulf […] we can’t speculate if Pakistan is with Iran; then what could it mean for its relations with Saudi Arabia […] or if we are with the UAE, then what does that mean for our relations with Saudi Arabia.” “Leave that to the state to decide,” the minister demanded, urging people to have “faith” in the state’s decisions. He reiterated that such analyses must be made with utmost caution. He further maintained that “such discussions did not fall under freedom of expression”.
The law minister stressed that Pakistan aimed to “play its part” in coordination with “brotherly countries to resolve tensions”. The minister once again urged media professionals to “look at the extent to which the Constitution allows one to speak on Pakistan’s foreign policy”.
Speaking on the occasion, information minister Ataullah Tarar took note of online content creators, who, he said, were “sensationalising” issues of foreign policy. “Pakistan has its foreign policy, and it maintains a balance in terms of the relations we share with our respective Muslim countries,” he said, advising against “discrediting it for views and providing our own interpretations instead”. He maintained that the issue must not be viewed through “the same dynamics as that of local politics”.When asked whether a vlog caused any concern for Pakistan’s relations with any country, the Azam Nazeer Tarar replied: “No relation has been impacted, and neither will it. “We only have to exercise caution considering the sensitivity of the situation,” he said.
