KATHMANDU: The government on Thursday withdrew its decision to deploy journalists as informers.

A press statement issued here on Thursday by Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) — the umbrella organisation of working journalists — said that Home Minister Bhim Rawal announced the withdrawal of the government’s earlier decision during a discussion with a team of FNJ central committee members today. The FNJ team was headed by its general secretary Posan KC.

“Minister Rawal also stated that the government would be taking severe action against those involved in the murder of journalists and violation of press freedom,” read the statement.

Protesting the government move, the FNJ had been launching various programmes across the country against the government.

“During the talk with the FNJ members, he (Minister Rawal)assured us that he would take this proposal to the Cabinet for approval soon,” KC said. The FNJ has welcomed the decision.

On October 7, the government had announced that it would deploy journalists as informants from central to district level. Then, it had also stated that such journalists would be provided with appropriate pays and perks for their job.

During the discussion today, the FNJ office bearers also urged the minister to make public the report prepared by the commission formed to probe into the death of journalist JB Joshi and withdrawal of murder case of disappeared journalist Prakash Singh Thakuri.

It also demanded to book the culprits and compensation to the victim families.

Apex court annuls media restriction

KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court on Thursday annulled the provision that restricted media to criticise formal royals. Under the National Broadcasting Regulation, the media was barred to criticise the former royals and to create environment against them. A division bench of justices Khil Raj Regmi and Kalyan Shrestha declared Rule 9 (A) and (I) conflicting with the Interim Constitution and said that such a provision could not be existed. The bench was responding to a Public Interest Litigation jointly filed by advocates Rishiram Ghimire, Subas Sharma and Santosh Babu Sharma representing the Freedom Forum which has been working in the area of freedom of speech and press.

They had sought the apex court intervention against the provision, saying that it was irrelevant in the present day context after the promulgation of the Interim Constitution and also the international laws in relation to freedom of speech and media. —HNS