Nothing final yet on media tribunals, says Firdous.

ISLAMABAD -- Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday said the government has not yet readied a final draft for legislation regarding creation of special media tribunals.

She acknowledged that 'consultations' in this regard had taken place but the government had not made any final draft. The Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting said that media was the fourth pillar of the State and its empowerment was imperative for strong democracy and good governance.

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA), she said that Prime Minister Imran Khan not only acknowledged the media's role as a watchdog but was determined to further strengthen this role. Congratulating the PRA office bearers, she said that parliament was the supreme institution where all important issues related to the country were taken up and PRA was the representative body of the media, responsible for reporting the parliamentary proceedings.

No state in the world can become strong without free and independent media as its constructive criticism gives the government guidance to improve the governance and deliver, she added. However, she asked the media to keep national interest in mind while reporting on issues of national interest as negative reporting could discourage the potential investors especially overseas Pakistanis who want to help the country overcome present crisis.

She said that...