Freedom Of Press To Be Restored

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 13

Freedom Of Press To Be Restored

(N 7. JP-A.-Keut er— CopvrtefitJ RAWALPINDI, October 28. President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan said today that all freedoms, including the freedom of the press, would be completely restored under Pakistan’s new constitution, to be promulgated next year.

This would be “subject to law and morality and the interests of the security of the nation,” the Preisdent told delegates to the Commonwealth Press Union conference.

President Ayub said any restrictions imposed on press freedom after his 1958 military coup were “in the interests of freedom itself.” The new constitution, which is expected to restore Parliament and some form of political activity, is now under study and is due to be promulgated next spring. President Ayub said it could become necessary, under certain circumstances, to insist on enforcement of

“certain standard requirements” in the press to ensure responsibility. The President, who yesterday celebrated the third anniversary of his bloodless takeover, was opening the ninth quinquennial conference of the Commonwealth Press Union.

The chairman of the C.P.U. Council, Mr Gavin Astor, told the conference that the Pakistan press was “free to do and say whet it likes as long as it does not break the laws of the land and as long as it does not become a disruptive influence.” But he said the Government still had powers to take retroactive action against editors and reporters for what the authorities might consider to be defamatory articles or destructive criticism. “One result of this uncertainty is that journalists may be afraid to give offence to the powers that be and may consequently resort to self-imposed restrictions upon their own activities and rely on the use of official handouts,” Mr Astor said.

In his welcoming speech. President Ayub said the press was “a mighty instrument for doing good—or the other thing.”

The greatest good It could do in the international field was to make one country well understood in another and create goodwill so that the bonds of sympathy might grow and the chances of misunderstanding might diminish.

The C.P.U. delegates, many of whom are accompanied by their wives, represent newspaper organisations in Australia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Britain, Canada, Ceylon. Hong Kong. India, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Rhodesia, Singapore and the West Indies.

They have been touring West Pakistan for five days and will start business sessions in Karachi on Monday to discuss problems and developments in the Commonwealth press. They will continue business sessions in India on November 1.