Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Ibrahim “Asward” Waheed, a former journalist himself, has defended the controversial media control bill currently under review in the People’s Majlis, despite widespread concerns it could muzzle the press, imprison journalists, and lead to the closure of news outlets and TV stations.

Speaking to a group of protesting journalists outside the President’s Office on Thursday, Minister Waheed said amendments could be proposed during the committee stage in the People’s Majlis. However, while acknowledging there were “concerning” elements in the bill, he was unable to name a single clause he found problematic.

Journalists pressed the minister on specific threats posed by the bill, including sweeping powers to fine, suspend, or shut down media organizations, but Waheed offered little substance. Instead, he claimed to “love journalism as much as Hirigaa Zahir,” in a reference to the late press freedom advocate, a comparison that was met with sharp criticism from the press corps.

In response to his statement, journalists said that if the minister truly loved journalism, he would not be a minister in the current administration today.

Despite repeated questioning, Waheed refused to identify which parts of the bill should be amended or whether he supported calls to reject it outright. He also dismissed concerns about the bill’s acceptance in parliament, saying there was no issue with it being tabled for debate.

When a journalist asked for a more transparent response, Waheed curtly replied, “I don’t have to answer in the way you want.”

The minister also dodged questions about ruling-party MP Ibrahim Falah’s recent incendiary remark that journalists should be “caged.” When asked whether he condemned the comment, the “minister of journalists” deflected, stating that it “wasn’t something he said”.

With no further answers forthcoming, the man once known for his outspoken advocacy as a journalist walked away in silence, now wearing the façade of a minister in an administration facing mounting accusations of suppressing press freedom.