KARACHI, July 21: Mir Shakilur-Rehman and Dr Jabbar Khattak, President and Secretary-General of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) have termed the decision of the federal cabinet to allow newspapers to set up TV channels a landmark in developing free and fair media in Pakistan.

They have congratulated President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali for pursuing openness with regard to electronic media.

In a joint press statement issued here on Monday the CPNE office-bearers said that under Pemra Ordinance the print media persons were not allowed to work for electronic media.

The CPNE office-bearers said, “We have always supported media diversity; however, we do believe that the rules on cross media ownership under Pemra Ordinance are not only outdated but have negate fundamental rights of citizens and democratic norms.”

They hoped that amendments to the Pemra Ordinance would be made with the same spirit with which the federal cabinet had allowed ownership of TV channels to newspapers.

There should be no doubt that newspapers are better placed to set up TV channels which could resist invasion of foreign media, they added.

They hoped that the electronic media in Pakistan would witness a rapid growth.