Govt keen to address concerns of print media: Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Affairs Irfan Siddiqui on Monday said the government believed in the freedom of press and was keen to address concerns of print media.
Addressing a luncheon meeting with the Executive Committee of APNS Irfan Siddiqui appreciated the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) for raising the issues that he termed irritants being faced by the print media at different forums, said a press release.
He asked the presidents of APNS and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) to nominate their representatives for a committee that would be constituted by the Ministry of Information Broadcasting and National Heritage to address the irritants and the issues being faced by the print media.
Siddiqui urged the APNS to help the government in resolution of all the longstanding issues of print media industry. He stressed that the committee should not be informal but hold regular meetings and come up with practicable solutions.
He mentioned that earlier with the help of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) the ministry was able to draft a comprehensive code of conduct for the electronic media that had been endorsed by the Supreme Court too. With sincerity dedication and resolve all issues facing the print media could be addressed, he added. The Special Assistant assured the APNS that the government would work with the media for providing a healthy environment for freedom of press in the country for which the prime minister had repeatedly shown his resolve.
Earlier Secretary Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Azam and Principal Information Officer Rao Tehsin Ali Khan deliberated on the concerns raised by the APNS.