PESHAWAR: Though the decision of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to stop the launch of Malala Yousafzai’s book shocked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, yet a minister defended the move.
After scathing criticism against PTI-led provincial government in the press and social media, Imran Khan had to intervene to do damage control.
“I am at a loss to understand why Malala’s book launch stopped in Peshawar. PTI believes in freedom of speech/debate, not censorship of ideas,” Khan’s tweet said.
The two tweets were widely re-tweeted in approval and replied to by Twitter users, appreciating Imran Khan for expressing displeasure over the action of his party-led provincial government. The book launching ceremony of “I am Malala” was scheduled to be held last Tuesday at the Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar.
The ceremony was jointly organised by the Area Study Centre, Bacha Khan Education Foundation and Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO). The provincial government pressurised the university administration and the director of Area Study Centre not to hold the event.
After the director’s resistance, the campus police refused to provide security to the gathering, which resulted in the cancellation of the book launch.
However, the official handout issued by the provincial Minister for Information Shah Farman defended the decision instead of repenting it. He justified cancelling the book launch by saying it had no relevance to the university.
“Unveiling the book at the Area Study Centre University of Peshawar was not allowed because the same book had no relevance with curricular and co-curricular activities of the students,” the minister said in the statement.
INTERNEWS
