CPNE to set up Press Complaints Commission
KARACHI (PR)—The Standing Committee of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), in its meeting held here on Saturday under the Chairmanship of the CPNE President Mir Shakilur Rehman, has decided to set up a Press Complaints Commission of its own with prominent citizen as its members besides Editors to deal with the complaints regarding newspapers and Press freedom. The details of the composition and functions of the Press Complaints Commission will be worked out by the Special Committees of the CPNE which will prepare its report at the next meeting of the CPNE Standing Committee to be held soon, after which the CPNE will formally launch the Press Complaints Commission.
The CPNE meeting felt that there was a general demand among the Press, government and the public that there should be some forum to handle their complaints and grievances relating to the newspapers and Press freedom.
The meeting was also of the view that the government was hesitant in constituting the Press Council of Pakistan for which there was a consensus and agreement between government and CPNE. Whereas in the absence of any Press Council there was a grave danger to Press freedom.
Therefore, in order to consolidate free and fair Press, the CPNE had no alternative but to decide on its own to set up a body working as an “Ombudsman” to deal the complaints by public and government against newspapers and the complaints of newspapers against government and various pressure groups.
The meeting has decided that the Press Complaints Commission would comprise the persons of eminence in their respective fields besides the editors. Such a body will carry impartiality and credibility and also weightage.
The CPNE Standing Committee also discussed in detail the Government-Press relationship and took serious notice of certain govt departments for ignoring CPNE the sole representative body of Editors and instead promoting a dummy organisation.
The meeting also regretted the tendency on the part of the Federal Information Ministry and the Secretariat of the Prime Minister and the President of Pakistan to Select newsmen from newspapers of their choice for foreign tours, bye-passing the editors of the newspapers.
The meeting deplored this tendency and declared that only newspaper editors have the right to assign their reporting staff members for coverage of foreign visits of the Prime Minister and the President.
The meeting also noted the stand taken by the members of the Sindh Committee of the CPNE on the threats issued to the Press in the province including one from the Chief Minister of Sindh.
The meeting endorsed the stand of the Sindh Committee of the CPNE and also noted with satisfaction the clarification issued by the Sindh Chief Minister Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Maher through his spokesman.
The CPNE meeting was held in the newly-established office of the CPNE and expressed its happiness on the establishment of the CPNE Secretariat in Karachi, after almost forty-three years.
The various members also announced donations over Rs ten lakh on the spot for meeting the capital and recurring cost of the CPNE Secretariat at Karachi.
Source: The Nation
Date:11/16/2003
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