ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman has said ‘Freedom of Information bill’ would shortly be tabled in the parliament after incorporating the views of the provincial governments in it.

“The purpose behind seeking stakeholders’ consultation is to ensure that the law serves the interest of the citizens for a long term,” she said while speaking at a dialogue on ‘Communication for Active Citizenship’ organised by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE) in collaboration with the Global Opportunities Fund, Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK government.

She said the government attached immense importance to this law which it believed would facilitate an environment of a transparent governance.

She said media freedom was the most important part of Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) manifesto commitment, and the government considered media curbs as a violation of fundamental constitutional rights of the people.

“This is a democratic government. We would never supervise any restrictions on the media. Rather we are committed to protecting media freedom,” the minister said.

She reassured that the present government would not only promote media but also protect journalists and media organisations. Media has a larger role in formation of a tolerant, pluralist and democratic society, she added.

“A stable democracy is prerequisite for a free media and we expect that our media works for promotion of democracy in Pakistan,” the minister remarked.

Ms Rehman said the government’s stress on revoking the draconian clauses in the Pemra laws was part of its commitment to remove legislative hurdles obstructing media freedom. “This was our first legislation in the parliament. It was meant to convey a clear message that we do not support any restrictions on the media. For seven months now, our government has been rigorously working to create an enabling environment for a free and independent media.”

She pointed out that media freedom was no one group’s job.

Urging political forces, civil society and the media to join hands for building an atmosphere of national reconciliation, she said: “Pakistan needs this healing and we must constructively move forward”.