ISLAMABAD (March 11 2010): Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Wednesday that the present democratic government believed in freedom of expression and has been taking appropriate steps to facilitate the flow of information through an independent and free media.

He was talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) headed by its President Mujeebur Rehman Shami which called on him here. Kaira said the government has taken several steps to ensure public access to information and it was working with stakeholders to dismantle all restrictions on the freedom of information inspired by the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

The members of the delegation appreciated the measures taken by the democratic government for the establishment of a free, fair and responsible media in the country. The issue of outstanding dues of the newspapers against the Press Information Department also came under discussion. The minister assured the delegation that the government would take steps for earliest release of outstanding advertisement amounts.

He said that the PPP regime wanted to support the print media industry, but asked the APNS to play a pro-active role in removing the discrepancies in the advertisement agencies' claims and the Press Information Department's (PID) record. The APNS delegation also presented proposals for change in the Federal Government advertisement policy and the PID agreed to implement most of them, while about others it gave its viewpoint.

Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2010