ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday shrugged off concerns expressed by the European Union about President Pervez Musharraf's curbs on the media amid a tense political crisis.
Military ruler Musharraf on Saturday withdrew newly-imposed restrictions on television channels after protests by journalists, lawyers and opposition parties.
The European Union and European Commission ambassadors to Islamabad said in a statement on Thursday that they were concerned by "recent setbacks with regard to media freedom".
"We do not need an outsider to come and tell us what to do," Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told reporters when asked about the European comments.
"This is for our people, our government and our media to discuss, debate and decide," she added.
"I am sure that if we were to comment on the situation of freedoms in these (European) countries, we would have a lot to say."
However, Aslam would not be drawn on comments on the issue made by Pakistan's key ally the United States last week.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the Pakistani government "is going to need to come to terms with new freedoms that are emerging in Pakistani society, concerning freedom of expression and the media as well".
He said that if Musharraf's decree "is used to actually shut down media; that is something we are going to watch very closely".
Musharraf imposed the curbs on Monday after criticising the media for its coverage of the crisis surrounding his suspension of Pakistan's chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on March 9.
"This report is not critical. It says that there should be respect for media freedom and we are also saying the same thing," Aslam said.
US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher is arriving in Pakistan this week on an official visit, but Aslam said it was a "normal, regular, periodic visit".
She dismissed as "absolutely baseless" reports that Boucher would try to mediate a political deal between the embattled Musharraf and exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
"I don't know who made up the story that Mr. Richard Boucher is coming here for mediation," Aslam said.
