Minister Chohan expresses anger over journalist's question on PTI’s ‘Madinah state’ promise

ISLAMABAD: Local journalists on Tuesday recorded strong protest and demanded an apology from Punjab Information Minister Fayaz-ul-Hasan Chohan’s over his crass remarks issued in a memorial reference for late Qazi Hussain Ahmed.

A journalist requested the minister to respond on the Jamat-e-Islami chief’s statement alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s promise of turning the country into Madinah state is baseless as the government didn’t even take a single step for it.

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Chohan tenders apology for remarks about female artistes, news channels

The minister had said that 'if I had the authority, I would have made Nargis offer Hajj and Megha keep as much as 300 fasts a year'

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Chohan, rather than responding to the question, lambasted at the journalist, saying that the journalist should feel ashamed for asking such question.

“Media should not be an unguided missile. They should know what to ask and where to ask “, said the minister. “It should not ask questions which can raise conflict.”

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The uncultured culture minister

'Fayaz Chohan has recently been expressive about what he thinks ‘culture’ means, hurling inappropriate judgment calls on women of the theatre and film industry'

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It appears that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader has a penchant for issuing high-handed remarks, which eventually creates controversy for the party and the government.

The minister, earlier, was forced to tender an apology for his derogatory statements on female artistes and news channels.

The minister, at the event in Lahore, had said that "if I had the authority, I would have made Nargis offer Hajj and Megha keep as much as 300 fasts a year."

"While speaking with regard to that a word slipped my tongue about Nargis sahiba and a TV channel hyped it too much," Chohan said in his video statement."I apologise to Nargis sahiba from the core of my heart. She is a very respectable person, a star of Pakistan film industry and a [cultural] ambassador of Pakistan."

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Youth parliamentarians heckle Chohan over sordid remarks

Chohan in his speech took a potshot in Punjabi at the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif

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Nargis had earlier slammed the minister for his derogatory, misogynistic remarks about the female artistes.

"Whoever this minister is, I have listened to his statement and I would only like to tell him that you are on a responsible post. Choose your words rightly,” she said. "Minister sahib, every individual has respect; be careful next time or else every respectable person reserves the right to take a legal action."

Later in his message, Chohan also apologised for his comments about certain news channels, a clip of which was widely shared on social networking platforms.

"I also apologise to owners and employees of Kohenoor and Royal news channels," he said. "God willing, next time caution would be exercised with regard to all these things."

The minister had abused a private TV channel’s technical staff in reaction to being asked by a talk show host about his controversial remarks in the past.