News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb said all segments of the society should work together to strengthen the supremacy of the Parliament.
She was talking to members of the Parliamentary Reporters’ Association at the Parliament House in Islamabad on Thursday, reported Radio Pakistan. The Minister of State said media and parliament are part and parcel of the democratic process.
Maryam Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and she herself strongly believe in freedom of media and it would be her endeavour to maintain constant contacts with media persons. She said the Government does not entertain the idea of imposing any restrictions on freedom of media and instead it would do its utmost to facilitate it in the discharge of professional responsibilities.
The Minister of State said there should be greater awareness among journalists about the Code of Conduct of PEMRA and the code being followed by different media houses. She said criticism should not be for the sake of criticism but for positive pursuits.
She said a comprehensive bill for safety and security of journalists has been prepared and media persons are welcomed to suggest amendments or improvements in it.
The Minister of State said the Government, in collaboration with representative bodies of media, would arrange training programmes at different levels to create necessary awareness among media persons about code of conduct and Sustainable Development Goals. She asked Secretary Information to prepare a structure of the training programme in consultation with media representatives.
She said another priority of the Government would be to ensure state of art facilities both for private and state media journalists. She said Press Clubs should be revived at different levels.