- Media body says economic sanctions imposed to curtail freedom of expression, information
The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has expressed deep concern over the prevailing condition of freedom of press in Pakistan, saying the media is undergoing a phase of extreme congestion and unnecessary restrictions, said a statement issued on Sunday.
As per the resolution passed in a meeting of the standing committee headed by CPNE President Arif Nizami, despite non-implementation of the notorious censorship, the current condition of the media is far worse than it was in the past.
It seems like the newspapers are being subjected to economic sanctions in a bid to indirectly control the freedom of press. By subjecting the newspapers to economic death, an attempt is being made to end freedom of expression and information, which is against the basic rights of freedom of press.
The resolution termed the current media regulatory authority as an unwise measure for the print media. The print media obtained freedom after a long struggle and steps to bring it under a regulatory authority seem dictatorial and is fanning fears amongst the newspaper circles.
The resolution also expressed concerns over the various complaints of editors about restrictions on circulation of their newspapers.
The resolution stressed unity among all media teams, media organisations and other stakeholders and called upon them to formulate of a joint strategy to ensure an end to indirect restrictions on the media.
In this respect, CPNE President Nizami was authorised to contact all media stakeholders, media organisations and journalist communities. The meeting also decided to organise an extensive media convention for promoting freedom of press.
Those who attended the CPNE meeting included; Arif Nizami (Pakistan Today), Zafar Abbas (Daily Dawn), Shaheen Qureshi (Daily Jung), Ayaz Khan and Tahir Najmi (Daily Express) among a large number of participants from the journalist community. The meeting also discussed the distribution of government ads and other affairs.
