ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said that the Journalist Protection Bill will soon be tabled in the Parliament for approval.
On a socials media website Twitter, the minister said that the draft bill has been finalized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Human Rights Division.
Protection of the rights of journalists and media workers is a priority of the government, he added. He said, “We will continue making efforts for independent and responsible journalism in the country.”
وزارت اطلاعات اور انسانی حقوق ڈویژن کی جانب سے جرنلسٹ پروٹیکشن بل کو حتمی شکل دے دی گئی ہے۔اسے بہت جلد پارلیمان میں منظوری کیلئے پیش کیا جائے گا۔صحافیوں اور ورکرز کے حقوق کا تحفظ ہماری اولین ترجیح ہے۔ ملک میں آزاد اور ذمہ دار صحافت کے فروغ کیلئے کوشاں رہیں گے۔
— Senator Shibli Faraz (@shiblifaraz) November 10, 2020
Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz had said that the government is committed to ensuring press freedom in the country.
While addressing here a joint meeting of Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) and All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) he said an inclusive mechanism was being prepared to streamline the distribution of advertisements and payment of outstanding dues to the media outlets.
The present elected government, which strongly believed in freedom of media, needed the cooperation of all stakeholders in that regard, he said.
Shibli Faraz said there were a small of newspapers with the only channels of Pakistan Television in the ’60s and ’70s, which were providing information to the people.\
“Today, in the presence of a large number of newspapers and TV channels, the minister for information remain on duty for 24 hours to inform the people about the government’s policies, reforms and projects,” he added.
The information ministers said despite his busy schedule of official engagements, he was well aware of the problems of newspaper owners.
