October 9, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 2, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: The presidents of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Hameed Haroon and Mujibur Rehman Shami, respectively, met the Minister for Information and Media Development, Nisar A. Memon, and the Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights, Khalid Ranjha, here on Tuesday.

They held with the ministers in-depth discussions on the three ordinances relating to defamation, the establishment of the Press Council of Pakistan and the registration of press, newspapers, news agencies and books, says a press release.

According to the press release, they discussed various clauses of the ordinances in a spirit of accommodation and understanding and arrived at a consensus on all issues raised during the meeting.

As regards the ordinance relating to the Freedom of Information, it was agreed between the two ministers and the presidents of the society and the council that soon after the elections, a meeting would be convened, comprising joint committee of the APNS and the CPNE to discuss the points of differences relating to this law.

Ranjha, however, explained to the chiefs of the society and the council that there was nothing in the Freedom of Information Ordinance, which would adversely affect the operation of other laws.

In fact, it rendered any person punishable “if he destroys record, which was the subject of request or any act done or intended to prevent disclosure under this ordinance.”