ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has hailed Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's decision to withdraw proposed amendments to the Defamation Law and make other related laws after considering the requirements of press freedom.

According to a CPNE press release issued here on Thursday, the council expressed hope that all assurances given by the prime minister, including the restoration of official advertisements to the Nawa-i-Waqt Group, would be implemented immediately.

A meeting of the CPNE standing committee held here on Thursday termed the recent meeting of a joint delegation of the CPNE and APNS with the prime minister an important step forward for the government-press relationship.

The council decided to hold the annual general meeting and the annual elections of the CPNE on Sept 7, 2004 in Islamabad. -APP