KARACHI, Jan 7: The standing committee of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors on Tuesday welcomed the return of civilian rule and pledged to play with greater vigour its role in the strengthening of democratic practice while safeguarding press freedom as embodied in Article 19 of the Constitution.

In a meeting presided over by CPNE President Mujibur Rahman Shami, the committee reviewed government-press relations and expressed satisfaction over the pronouncements by the elected government that it shall uphold press freedom while recognising the crucial role the press plays in the strengthening of democratic practice.

The meeting deliberated on the subject of amendments needed in the ordinances relating to freedom of information and the defamation law, says a press release. It decided to invite suggestions from the members of the CPNE on the amendments to the ordinances and after considering them send its recommendations to the government.

The meeting directed the CPNE secretariat to circulating the text of the ordinances and the draft rules pertaining to the law regulating the print media as received from the information and media development ministry among the members.

It approved the holding of the annual function of the CPNE in March and directed the office-bearers to finalize the arrangements. Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Jamali will be the chief guest. Mr Shami informed the meeting that the prime minister had accepted the invitation in this regard. It was decided that the time, place and date for the annual function be left to the convenience of the prime minister.

Mr Shami said invitation had also been extended to President Gen Pervez Musharraf for a dinner or luncheon in his honour and the reply was awaited.

The meeting decided that conveners of the provincial scrutiny committees for recommending on fresh membership of the CPNE be appointed with the option to include members of their choice in the committees. The meeting also decided that the names of the conveners for the provinces and the federal capital territory be appointed by the CPNE president at the earliest. It approved arrangements for acquisition of communications equipment for the council’s secretariat.

The participants offered Fateha for Mahmud Ahmed Madni, former editor of the Jasarat, who died recently.