Pak scribe wins 'Gold Pen of Freedom'

Sethi, editor-in-chief, ‘Friday Times’ and ‘Daily Times’, Pakistan, received the award for 2009 from Xavier Vidal-Folch, president, World Editors Forum, at the inaugural ceremony of World Newspapers Congress and World Editors Forum here.

Describing Pakistan as one of the most deadly places for journalists, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and World Editors Forum expressed solidarity with independent Pakistani journalists who, despite difficulties, remained the most outspoken in South Asia.

They called upon the Pakistani authorities to take all necessary measures to end the violence against journalists, secure a safer environment for them, and commit to uphold international standards of freedom of expression and of the press.