Journalists have demanded a provision of press freedom in the preamble of the proposed interim constitution.

Dismissed chief of the National Investigation Department (NID), Devi Ram Sharma, talking to journalists after filing statement to the high-level probe commission headed by former Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, Friday, July 07 06. nepalnews.com/ANA

Speaking at an interaction with the interim constitution drafting committee on Friday, President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, an umbrella organization of journalists, Bishnu Nisthuri, said, the new constitution should guarantee press freedom in such a way that it will not be clipped by any organizations at any time in the future.

He further said that interim constitution should establish independent press council as an autonomous body and stressed the need of media restructure and the protection and preservation of FM radios.

Speaking at the program, Laxman Aryal, Former Justice and Chairman of the draft committee said the press can help to act as a medium of the people in the present scenario.

He stated that the interim constitution will be drafted in keeping with the achievements of the 1990’s movement, the people’s movement-II and the parties-Maoist agreements.

FNJ General Secretary Mahendra Bista said that the interim constitution should remove all the existing provision that imposes restriction on media.

Speaking at the same porogramme other journalists said the government should not play any role in controlling the media.

Raghu Mainali of Save Independent Radio Movement (SIRM) said press and all other forms of mass media should be incorporated in the new constitution.