ISLAMABAD: Minster for Energy Hammad Azhar on Friday gave a public debate challenge to television anchor-person Shahzeb Khanzada on LNG and gas related issues moderated by a neutral anchor along with independent experts.
“I would like to challenge Shahzeb Khanzada to debate LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and gas issues with me moderated by a neutral anchor and with Independent experts, ” he said in a tweet.
The minister said the anchor-person always manipulated interviews to hide facts and mislead the nation about certain issues.
“Let the people see the facts without persistent interrupting, volume controls, teleprompters etc, ” Hammad added.
In another tweet, the minister also pointed to a lie told by the anchor to his audience in a recent programme about influencing his current affairs TV show by certain elements.
When asked about the pressure put up on the channel for which the anchor-person was working, the minister said the private television management tried to justify the lie referring to a tweet of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill in which he also made the same offer of a public debate.
The minister said he recently held a successful meeting with the businessmen associated with the import sector of all provinces, who assured to strengthen the gas supply chain during the peak winter season.
For the purpose, he said the inefficient private sector gas-run plants would be switched over to national electricity grid.