Press freedom priority despite all odds: Durrani | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Press freedom priority despite all odds: Durrani

ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani Saturday claimed that press freedom is the top priority of the incumbent government and it would continue with it despite all odds.

Addressing a special meeting of the regional committee of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) here, the Minister said the government had reacted promptly to any incident meant to restrain the media.
“We have introduced a new culture of adopting dialogue process to resolve all outstanding issues. The prompt and speedy actions taken by the government at all levels to ensure the media freedom is exceptional in the political history of the country. We are committed to resolve all the issues faced by the media,” he said and added that all necessary measures would be taken to facilitate the media sector.
The Minister agreed to the proposal that an impartial probe should be conducted by the provincial government over the issue of sealing the bureau office of the Daily Ausaf, Murree.
Durrani told the meeting that the Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi had taken a prompt action and necessary action had been ensured by the Punjab Information Ministry soon after they had been informed by the Minister Information about the incident happened at Murree.
Urging the media to cooperate over the national as well as public interest issues, the minister said the government welcomes all sort of critique as it was helping it in ensuring good-governance in the country.
Vice President CPNE Zahid Malik, Convener CPNE Islamabad Khushnood Ali Khan, Chief Editor Daily Ausaf Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Chief Editor Daily Asaas Sheikh Iftikahr Adil, Editor Daily Asaas Zamir Nafees, Mushtaq Gurmani of Daily Nawa-i-Waqt, Executive Editor Daily Al-Akhbar Mansoor Ahmad Qureshi, Chief Editor Weekly Nikhar Rukhsana Sahoolat, and Editor Investigative Reporting Naeem Mehboob were also present on the occasion.
Source: The Nation
Date:8/5/2007