November 23, 2002	Saturday	Ramazan 17, 1423

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KARACHI, Nov 22: The General Secretary of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Mahmudul Aziz, has urged Prime Minister-elect Mir Zafarullah Jamali to uphold the Article 19 of the Constitution and reiterate his commitment to press freedom.

Welcoming the return of civilian rule, following elections of October 2002, on Friday he said that the CPNE had always campaigned for the press freedom to serve the democratic process in a better way in the country.

Mr Aziz hoped that it would be among the priorities of the government of Mir Zafarullah Jamali to ensure that press in Pakistan, specially print media, was not impeded in its duty of carrying for readership all the news, views and comments objectively.

He said that Mr Jamali, while listing his priorities as newly elected prime minister, mentioned in the National Assembly on Thursday various aspects of state policy that his government would pursue and review. However, there was not any direct mention of the commitment to press freedom and upholding Article 19 of the Constitution as also the right to freedom of information, Mr Aziz added.

He said that it was the print media which played a pioneer role in facilitating the journey of the nation to democracy and the return to civilian rule. Therefore, commitment to press freedom and freedom of access to information would be on the priority list of the prime minister-elect, he hopped.—PPI