President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan as a state, remained firmly committed to freedom of the press both as a constitutional guarantee and a democratic necessity.
In a message on World Press Freedom Day, falling on May 3, the president said, “I extend my warmest greetings to journalists, editors, media workers and media professionals in Pakistan and across the world. This year’s theme, ‘Shaping a Future at Peace,’ underscores a fundamental truth that peace cannot be built without truth and in the modern world, truth depends on those who have the courage and integrity to seek it, verify it and bring it to light.”
“The challenges confronting press freedom today are immense. Misinformation erodes public trust. Disinformation distorts democratic discourse. Artificial intelligence offers immense promise, yet it also carries significant risk. Across the world, journalists continue to face harassment, legal intimidation, economic pressure and in far too many cases, physical danger,” he added.