Islamabad: Prime Minister here on Tuesday said that media freedom and democracy reinforced each other and expressed his government’s resolve to support an environment for journalists free of intimidation and harassment.
Addressing at an event to mark 10 years of the United Nations’ Plan of Action organized by the Journalist Safety Forum (JSF), the premier termed free media and freedom of expression the important pillars of a State.
“My government believes that no journalist or human rights activist should be called out in the line of duty,” he said, expressing his firm resolve to proactively facilitate the implementation of the Journalists Safety Law.
He termed the killing of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif an “extremely sad incident” and said that he soon after the incident spoke to the government of Kenya and later wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to form a judicial commission.
PM Shehbaz said despite the chequered history with 33 years of military rule, the collective political efforts led to the resumption of democracy to put the country on right track.
He termed the 1973 constitution ‘a very sacred document’ which acted as a binding force among the units of the federation and ensured democratic values besides ensuring the basic rights of citizens.
In 2013, he said, Pakistan became the first country in Asia to pass legislation on the safety of journalists, and last year, the parliament passed the landmark Protection of Journalists and Media Protection Act.
