Pakistani media enjoying unprecedented freedom: Durrani
By Saad Saud

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani said Pakistani media is enjoying unprecedented freedom in the region.Speaking in a television programme, the Minister said the current government campaign on media is to create awareness about the steps taken for the welfare of people.
Referring to the incidents on constitution avenue in Islamabad, he said whatever happened was unfortunate and nobody should have taken law into his hand.
Durrani said the government showed its solidarity with journalists. The ministers even took the journalists to the hospitals.
The incident that occurred with State Minister Tariq Azeem and MQM parliamentarian Farooq Sattar was condemnable, he added.
He recalled that every government of the past used police to torture political opponents.
The Supreme Court has taken a decision and the government has implemented it, he said adding it is not good that people in the country should be put in a state of depression by wrong messages.
Durrani said lively nations devise ways to protest but also take forward the democratic process. The Minister said a direct to home television service will be launched to redress the issue of switching off of transmission of television channels by cable operators.
State Minister for Information Tariq Azeem said after the incident of misbehaviour with him a great number of journalists apologised to him.
He said PEMRA is an independent regulatory body and takes its own decisions.
Speaking in the programme, news analyst Ansar Abbasi said tolerance level of President General Pervez Musharraf is better than leaders in the past governments.
Media acts as a watchdog and works to protect basic rights of the people, he added.