July 01, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 4, 1427

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KARACHI, June 30: Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani has said that the government wants to ensure freedom of the press and expression in the country and intends to make Pakistan a ‘free media hub’ in the Muslim world.

Speaking to the executive committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) at a lunch, the minister held out the assurance that pending issues of the government-press relations, including the incomplete agenda of press laws, would be resolved through dialogue to be initiated soon with APNS office-bearers.

According to an APNS press release, the lunch was hosted in the honour of the minister for information, Minister of State for Information Tariq Azeem and officials of the ministry.

Mr Durrani said the government would like to see establishment of institutions for training and development of human resources for the newspaper industry and journalism. He asked the APNS to come forward with proposals and assured that the government would facilitate such efforts.

He appreciated a proposal made by the executive committee for judicious and equitable distribution of government advertisements to small and medium newspapers.

He suggested the APNS send a summary containing its proposal for the Central Media List to be based on APNS member publications. He said proposals would be considered sympathetically.

The executive committee condemned the violence against journalists and media establishments and the incident that took place at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday.

In a resolution, the executive committee condemned stoppage of government advertisements to some publications in Balochistan.