President highlights importance of media

President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday reiterated the government's commitment to continue working for the development of media in the country and upholding freedom of information. He said that the democratically elected government considers media as an important instrument for the strengthening of democracy and would continue to facilitate media in its professional pursuits.
The President was talking to a delegation comprising members of the Press Council of Pakistan, which called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. The delegation included Chairman Press Council of Pakistan, Raja Mohammad Shafqat Khan Abbasi, Director Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Ms Aayesha Ikram, Chief Editor Daily Pakistan Lahore, Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Chief Editor Nawa-e-Waqt Group of Publications, Majid Nizami, Editor Daily Business Recorder, Wamiq A. Zuberi, Chief Editor Daily Balochistan Express Quetta, Siddiq Baloch, Chief Editor Frontier Post Karachi, Ghulam Nabi Mughal, Editor Nawa-e-Waqt Karachi, Bachal Leghari, Editor Nawa-e-Waqt Islamabad, Iqbal Jafri, Editor Daily The News Islamabad, Nasir Zaidi, Ms Yasmeen Rehman, MNA and senior officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar were also present during the meeting. Raja Mohammad Shafqat Khan Abbasi while briefing the President said that the Press Council was established in 2002 with the purpose to safeguard freedom of the press and implement the Ethical Code of Practice.
He said that the credit for activating the dormant Council, appointing the new Chairman and issuance of notification of all the PCP members goes to the present democratic government which reflects its sincerity and commitment towards freedom as well as development of media in the country.
Raja Mohammad Shafqat said that Press Council was the only forum where the grievances of the public against the press and complaints of press against any other institution were being resolved. The Chairman PCP said that the Press Council was the only forum where all the stakeholders ie APNS (All Pakistan Newspapers Society), CPNE (Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors), PFUJ (Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists) and public representatives sit under one roof.
He also highlighted various issues being faced by the Press Council including the financial issues and setting up of the Council's regional offices. The President directed the authorities concerned to look into the issues of the Press Council for their early redressal. The participants during their interaction with the President highlighted the importance of the Press Council and the need to further strengthen it by establishing the Council's offices in the provinces.