• June 30, 2002
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LAHORE- The annual meeting of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) declared its commitment to defend press freedom and pledged to oppose the promulgation of any law relating to the press and defamation.

The meeting by a resolution unanimously adopted called upon the government to promulgate without delay the package of legislation between the CPNE and the government relating to the newspapers.

Meeting under the chairmanship of CPNE President, Mujib-ur-Rahman Shami, the House also took strong notice of the high-handedness of the police against journalists in different parts of the country and urged the authorities to stop such acts, which are violative of the guarantees on press freedom enshrined in the constitution. The meeting also urged the government to implement the package of legislation over which CPNE had conveyed its agreement long ago. The General Body also demanded early completion of judicial inquiry into the baton (lathi)-charge of newsmen in Faisalabad and award of exemplary punishment to the policemen responsible for this act.

The meeting acknowledged the regrets over the matter expressed by President Pervez Musharraf himself and felt that police officials at different levels must be restrained by the senior executive officials against any form of violence against the newsmen.

According to a press release, the Standing Committee heard a detailed report on the working of CPNE during the past one-year from Zahid Malik, the outgoing secretary-general. He recounted the various events that affected the press in the past one year, both negative and positive.

Zahid Malik described the initiation of dialogue with the Law Ministry over the defamation laws proposed by the government as one of the positive achievements of the CPNE. He also recalled the negotiations with the government on package of legislations including Press Council to which agreement had already been conveyed by the CPNE.

Source: Business Recorder
Date:6/30/2002