The provincial heads of all the major political parties of NWFP have agreed upon freedom of press saying that collective efforts on the part of civil society, mediamen and other organisations were needed to foil any attempt that aimed at restricting the free flow of information to the masses.
These views were expressed during a seminar titled " Convention against the Threats, Torture, Attacks and non-implementation of 7th Wage Board Award" organised by the Khyber Union of Journalists (KUJ) here on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Amir of Jamaat Islami, Siraj-ul-Haq said that media is the voice of the oppressed and general public and its freedom is absolutely important for the survival of a democratic society.
He said that the press is the fourth pillar of state without which the existence of a society can be compared to that of the jail where the prisoners live adding that struggle between the right and evil forces have always been there since the existence of the world and would continue till the extinction.
Provincial Chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Chief Minister NWFP Pir Sabir Shah while sharing his viewpoint on the occasion said that 7th wage board award is the undisputed right of the journalists and should be implemented at the earliest.
The rise and fall of a nation is attached with press and therefore great care has to be observed while reporting an incident or event, he added. He said that the government has opened many new electronic channels yet he maintained that a lot is needed to be done.
ANP Provincial head, Afrasiab Khattak said that civil society organisations can not survive with out free media and the two are indispensable for each other. Dilating upon his views, he said that wage board award is the basic right of journalists and should be implemented without any delay.