Assistant to the Prime Minster on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday called upon the media to properly project the austerity initiatives of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Talking to media outside the Parliament House, she specifically pointed out a fake news about increase in PM’s remuneration and added Prime Minister Imran Khan took the initiative to reduce expenditures of PM House with its strict implementation. She said the Prime Minister was spearheading an extensive campaign to drastically reduce expenditures and added fake news was misleading one and an attempt to distract the attention from his actions in the best national interest. “Prime Minister Imran has set a new precedent of curtailing extravagant expenditure and ensuring simplicity” said Firdous Ashiq Awan adding the Prime Minister took concrete steps to save discretionary funds. She said in the past Prime Ministers used to take cronies on their official foreign tours whereas PM Imran Khan boarded commercial flights to extensively reduce the cost. She said Prime Minster Imran Khan opted to stay at his own house instead of using official residence in PM House, adding some anchors indulged in misinforming and misguiding the people. She advised them to refrain from misguiding the people and apprise them of PM’s initiatives in the national interest. About PM Imran Khan’s recent trip to Davos, the SAPM said Ikram Sehgal was associated with a thinktank which had sponsored the prime ministers and ministers in the past to project Pakistan at international forums and added the issue was blown out of proportion. She said Ikram Sehgal had organized specific meetings in the past and once former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was barred from addressing international economic forum because of corruption charges against him. “We don’t want to involve international Pakistani diaspora in our local politics”, said Firdous Ashiq Awan. She said Governor State Bank of Pakistan had announced the increase in export support fund and added it was portrayed out of context. She said State Bank of Pakistan had given relaxation in the loans by June 2020 to the exporters which was part of PM’s vision of ‘ease of doing business.’ She said that a comprehensive legislation was under discussion with different media organizations to provide relief to the working journalists
