LAHORE: President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s decision to release Mr Altaf Gauhar, chief Editor of the DAWN group of newspapers, withdrawing the case against him in the Special Tribunal, has been hailed as a gesture of goodwill towards the Press by Mr Majid Nizami, President of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors. Giving his reactions to the release in a Press statement … he said that this step would go a long way in restoring the cordiality of Press-Government relations. …

The CPNE Chief described President Bhutto’s decision as in line with the detente in the political field within the country. He was, however, of the opinion that it would be in the fitness of things if the publication of three Lahore periodicals, “Urdu Digest”, “Zindagi” and “Punjab Punch”, was also restored… .

To eliminate the possibility of rancour between the national Press and the people’s Government, he further suggested the repeal of the black laws, covering the Press at the moment. The CPNE had accepted in general principle the Government proposals in this regard, he pointed out. These outmoded laws had, therefore, become quite uncalled for in the new context. They should be scrapped to herald the dawn of a new era. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2023