{"id":125196,"date":"2026-05-03T03:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T22:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=125196"},"modified":"2026-05-03T00:05:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T19:05:50","slug":"free-press-is-key-to-democracy-peace-and-progress-bilawal-bhutto-zardari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/125196\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Press is Key to Democracy, Peace and Progress: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">KARACHI (National Times) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has paid rich tribute to journalists and media professionals on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, being observed on May 3, praising their courage as steadfast guardians of truth and democracy throughout the nation\u2019s history.<br>According to a press release issued by the Bilawal House Media Cell, he said that press freedom is not only essential for democracy but also a cornerstone of peace, economic recovery, sustainable development, and the protection of human rights. \u201cWhere truth flows freely, societies breathe; where it is silenced, hope begins to fade,\u201d he remarked.<br>Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged journalists, media organizations, and state institutions to work collectively to safeguard the integrity of information and counter the growing threat of disinformation. He warned that in the digital age, false information erodes public trust and distorts democratic discourse, emphasizing that press freedom must remain grounded in truth, accuracy, and ethical responsibility.<br>He further noted that the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples Party has long faced sustained misinformation and media trials driven by entrenched biases aimed at weakening its connection with the public, but such efforts have consistently failed.<br>Reaffirming his party\u2019s commitment, he stated that the PPP will remain a steadfast supporter of freedom of expression and press freedom. He stressed that the fight against misinformation should be rooted in transparency, responsible journalism, and a strong culture of truth.<br>Concluding his message, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for solidarity with those who risk their voices for truth and urged collective efforts to build a society where facts are not feared, and where a free press paves the way for a more just, informed, and peaceful future.<section class=\"text-token-text-primary w-full focus:outline-none [--shadow-height:45px] has-data-writing-block:pointer-events-none has-data-writing-block:-mt-(--shadow-height) has-data-writing-block:pt-(--shadow-height) [&amp;:has([data-writing-block])&gt;*]:pointer-events-auto [content-visibility:auto] supports-[content-visibility:auto]:[contain-intrinsic-size:auto_100lvh] R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]\" dir=\"auto\" data-turn-id=\"request-WEB:8329fcfe-aa24-4ac8-9f7e-4df628149c0f-3\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-8\" data-scroll-anchor=\"false\" data-turn=\"assistant\"><div class=\"text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-xs,calc(var(--spacing)*4))] @w-sm\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-sm,calc(var(--spacing)*6))] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-margin:var(--thread-content-margin-lg,calc(var(--spacing)*16))] px-(--thread-content-margin)\"><div class=\"[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg\/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group\/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\"><div class=\"z-0 flex min-h-[46px] justify-start\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"pointer-events-none -mt-px h-px translate-y-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom)-14*var(--spacing))]\"><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KARACHI (National Times) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, has paid rich tribute to journalists and media professionals on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, being observed on May 3, praising their courage as steadfast guardians of truth and democracy throughout the nation\u2019s history.According to a press release issued by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":125197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-125196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - 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