The members of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) held a meeting here on Tuesday afternoon, under the chairmanship of CPNE President Arif Nizami, demanded through a resolution that the government should withdraw immediately the draconian measures restricting press freedom under the amendments promulgated on November 3, 2007.
The meeting, in a resolution adopted unanimously, declared that in the presence of these draconian laws of November 3, 2007, all claims of press freedom in Pakistan were meaningless. It declared that any dialogue on the existing press laws with Federal Information Minister Ms Sherry Rehman would only be possible and meaningful when all the draconian laws putting restrictions on the press as contained in the November 3, 2007 amendments are withdrawn. It, in the same resolution, also strongly condemned the continued acts of violence against newspapers and pressmen in the country.
It called upon the federal and provincial governments as well as all the political parties to honour their commitment to the press freedom as contained in their election manifestos and ensure that the press in Pakistan is not hindered in its reportage of events and developments in keeping with the right to know.
The meeting declared in the resolution that the newspaper editors in Pakistan shall defend the press freedom with all the resources at their command and shall always stand up against all forms of threats and pressures so that the nation remains fully informed and democratic norms are established and strengthened in the country.
It also noted with grave concern and disdained the repeated attacks on newspapers and newsmen in the several incidents in the country, including the ones of November 3, 2007, and in the wake of the general elections in the country.
The meeting declared that the election results of 2008 general elections have been a resounding vote for the press freedom in the country. It declared that any effort by political parties or individuals to derails this mandate for the press freedom will be resisted and defeated by the press in co-operation with all elements of the society. It pledged to the upholding of democratic norms and the right to know of the people as also the performance in unhindered manner of the press in providing people with the truth.
It also entertained many suggestions from members of the CPNE attending the meeting and decided that all such suggestions be placed before the regular meeting of the CPNE standing committee for necessary action. The suggestions include the holding of country-wide seminar, in every important city, including the federal and provincial capitals under the theme of 'Freedom from Threats and Violence Day of the Press in Pakistan'.
The meeting decided that the CPNE standing committee be requested to adopt a comprehensive line of action to meet the new challenges in the emerging political scenario in Pakistan and ensure that the unity of the press is maintained in consultation and co-operation with other bodies of the print and electronic-media and all threats and pressures are countered effectively.
It also expressed its happiness over the recovery of CPNE President Arif Nizami's health and the successful heart surgery he underwent.
The meeting also condoled the sad demise of Sajjad Ali Chandio, son of Ghulam Nabi Chandio, member, CPNE standing committee and the senior journalist, Chief Editor of the Daily Economic Times, Islamabad, Khalil Malik (the elder brother of the CPNE Secretary-General Khushnood Ali Khan).
CPNE President Arif Nizami (Nawa-e-Waqt), Senior Vice-President Dr Jabbar Khattak (Daily Awami Awaz), Aamer Mehmood (Monthly Kiran), Wamiq Zuberi (Daily Business Recorder), Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (Monthly Naye Ufaq), Anwer Farooqi (Daily Aghaz), Najmuddin Shaikh (Daily Deyanat), Tahir Najmi (Daily Express), Kazi Asad Abid (Daily Ibrat), Inqillab Matri (Daily Millat), Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi (Monthly Roohani Digest), Naseer Hashmi (Daily Ummat), Ghulam Nabi Chandio (Daily Pak), Mehmoodul Aziz (Monthly Pictorial News Review), Saeed Khawar (Nawa-e-Waqt), Owais Aslam Ali (PPI news agency) Mukhtar Aqil (Daily Jurrat), Ali Akhter Rizvi (Daily Kainat), Abdul Khaliq (Online), Nasir Dad Baloch (Daily Sindh Sujag), Muhammad Rizwan, (Daily Aman), and Usman Arab Satti (Daily Watan) attended the meeting-PR