PESHAWAR, May 4: The Awami National Party(ANP) has expressed concern over what it called ‘government tactics’ to browbeat the media and called for complete freedom of press in the country.

In a statement issued here on Friday in connection with the World Press Freedom Day, ANP provincial General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that every government in the country had claimed to be a champion of press freedom, but in reality they used the media for their advantage through government advertisements and intimidation.

He said that government advertisements in newspapers were linked to publication of pro-government news items which deprived the media of its role of unveiling the truth.

He said the government had attacked offices of the electronic media. He claimed that the media could no longer be restricted from airing the real situation because the world had become a global village.

In spite of all problems, media-persons were performing their professional duties devotedly, he said.

He gave out assurances that his party would continue to support the free and independent media in the country.