LONDON: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi faces embarrassingsituation in London as International Media boycotted press conference.

International media on Thursday boycotted session with Foreign MinisterShah Mehmood Qureshi at the “Defend Media Freedom” conference as wasgreeted by empty seats as journalists protested over ‘free speech concerns’in Pakistan.

Qureshi, who is in the British capital on an official visit, attended theconference with journalists posting videos of a nearly deserted hall.

Qureshi was questioned about the censorship in Pakistan. “Believe you me,there is no question of gagging or controlling media,” he told theconference co-hosted by Britain and Canada. “That time has gone and withthe new social media, the advent of social media, even if you want to gagyou can gag nothing.”

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Pakistan suffers fromnegative characterisation in western media, which is not reflective of thereality of Pakistani media. Amid rising questions about the issue offreedom of speech and recent actions takenagainst news channels by Pemra,Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the conference in London that Pakistan’s realityis overlooked by western media.