Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said the coalition government was actively taking measures to promote media freedom under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who fully believed in freedom of expression.
“Journalism and freedom of expression are essential constitutional requirements for strengthening democracy,” the minister said in a news statement while felicitating newly elected office-bearers of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).
Marriyum congratulated CPNE President Irshad Arif, Senior Vice President Anwar Sajdi, Secretary General Ejazul Haque and other newly elected officials.
The minister lauded the role playing by the CPNE for strengthening democracy and promoting press freedom in the country.
She hoped that the newly elected office-bearers would use their experience and skills to lead the CPNE towards further improvement.
The government, she said would continue to cooperate with the CPNE to resolve the issues faced by newspapers and magazines in the country.
The minister said the government resolved issues faced by the media on priority.
Meanwhile, Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Sohail Ali Khan and Principal Information Officer (PIO) Mobashir Hasan also congratulated the newly elected office-bearers of CPNE.
Both the senior government officers expressed good wishes for newly elected office-bearers of CPNE including President Irshad Arif, Senior Vice President Anwar Sajdi, Secretary General Ejazul Haque and others.
The secretary information said the ministry of information and broadcasting had always given foremost priority to media freedom in the country. The journalistic values and media institutions in Pakistan had significantly improved and became more responsible compared to the past, he added.
He said the role of media gained more importance during the current era of information technology.
The PIO extended heartfelt felicitation to the newly elected office-bearers of CPNE which was an organized body.
He hoped that the newly elected body would play its due role in solving the problems of journalists and maintaining standards of journalism.
