He was addressing a ceremony for the regularization of 490 contract and daily wages employees of Pakistan Television (PTV) here at the Prime Minister Secretariat.
The Prime Minister said the present government which firmly believed in freedom of media also revoked the anti-media draconian laws of the Musharraf government and gave full freedom to media.
The Prime Minister said the regularization of 490 PTV employees today and earlier 821 PTV employees in the first phase was in line with the PPP-led government's announcement and promise to regularize the contract and temporary employees.
Prime Minister Gilani while accepting the demand of the regularized PTV employees also announced to convert their one year service tenure into probation period.
"I am doing this for the reason that there can be ups and downs in democracy, but the employees should not suffer," Gilani said and remarked that in the past he had faced imprisonment for giving jobs to people.
The Prime Minister recalled that when he was sentenced by a judge of the Accountability Court, Asif Ali Zardari, now President of Pakistan, was also present in the court and told the judge that he was sentencing a future President.
Gilani said President Zardari had called him the future President, as the PPP leaders and workers always considered Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as their Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister lauded the performance of Pakistan Television in multiple areas of news, entertainment, sports etc and said it was truly following its motto of "Sach Zimedari Key Sath".
Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said that our media was playing a responsible role in creating awareness against extremism and terrorism, which is a good omen.
Praising the role of Pakistan Television in creating awareness in society, the Prime Minister said, PTV role was not only propagation of government's policies but to highlight public issues and give proper coverage to the opposition as well.
He said that besides in fields of news,information and entertainment, PTV was a credible name in the field of art and literature and was known to be a trend setter in this regard, which was no doubt a proud for PTV.
The Prime Minister said that in the era of information technology various channels were in the field but some of them were spreading sensationalism while PTV has maintained the balance.
He said Pakistan Television was playing an important role not only in the war against terrorism but in natural calamities too and presentation of Rs 55 million cheque to PM Flood Relief Fund by PTV, which it collected through its telethon programme on flood, depicted its close attachment with the nation.
The Prime Minister said that PTV was launching its Sports Channel in second week of January, next year which would be the beginning of a new era in PTV network. He congratulated PTV management for achieving this milestone.
Lauding the role of PTV management,the Prime Minister said that despite global recession, PTV showed positive fiscal performance and met all its expenditures from its resources.
The Prime Minister said that besides sports channel, Pakistan Television was opening its Multan centre, Home Channel and bureaus at D.I.Khan, Skardu and Gilgit.
Later, the Prime Minister distributed regularization letters among 491 jubilant employees of PTV amid Jeay Bhutto and long live PPP and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani's slogans.