Cabinet reiterates government’s resolve to follow liberal media policy
ISLAMABAD- The federal Cabinet on March 19, 2003 reiterated the resolve of the government to follow a liberal media policy allowing full freedom to the press.
The cabinet decided that the media policy would be based on merit keeping in view the intended target of each campaign with due weightage to regional publications.
Addressing the cabinet, Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali emphasised that newspapers were at liberty to print as they wished. Freedom of the media, he said, was an essential ingredient of a democratic dispensation and he reaffirmed the policy of his government to follow that course.
He, however, directed the Information Ministry to ensure a transparent and merit-based advertising policy, which gives due consideration to the needs of the regional newspapers and periodicals.
The prime minister directed strict compliance on the established policy of 25 percent quota for regional newspapers, which lack patronage from the private sector and, thus, find it difficult to survive.
He said it was not just the government’s responsibility but the responsibility of the society as a whole to let newspapers and publications in the smaller cities and towns flourish in the interest of plurality of views and comments essential for the growth and stability of a democratic order.
The federal Cabinet approved a proposal for establishment of a communication link between the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and the Indian Coast Guards to facilitate both the countries in avoidance of violation of disputed waters by the fishing boats and expeditious exchange of captured boats and their crew.
The proposed communication link would also help in prevention and reporting of violation of each other’s economic exploitation zone, exchange of information about pollution, co-ordination for control of major oil spills, exchange of information relating to anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics incidents and co-ordination and conduct of search and rescue operations as per international conventions.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:3/20/2003
” 
” 
” 
” 
