Muzaffarabad, (Parliament Times) : Raja Amjad Hussain, Secretary General of the All Kashmir Newspaper Society (AKNS), strongly reacted to criticism from a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) regarding advertisements issued by the Azad Kashmir government. He condemned what he described as “double standards,” stating that it is acceptable when PML-N supports the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with votes, but deemed impermissible when the PPP of Azad Kashmir issues advertisements to newspapers.
He further pointed out that the Punjab government continues to spend millions of rupees monthly on publicity for its own party. Addressing Mushtaq Minhas, he questioned why his conscience was stirred now:
“Why oppose the state newspapers now? During your first five years in office, you undermined the state newspapers. Now, when the state government issues an advertisement, suddenly your conscience awakens?”
Raja Amjad Hussain urged that if the concern is genuine and principled, then the PML-N leader should also speak out against the Punjab government, which regularly issues party advertisements. He added that similar accountability should be demanded from the federal government or the Punjab government’s monthly advertisement expenditures should be aligned fairly with the state newspapers, or criticism should be voiced there as well.
He concluded his remarks emphasizing consistency and fairness in dealings with state newspapers.
