Photographers are the back bone of journalists, exposed and vulnerable to any threat in the field, in spite of all these risks they never compromise their professionalism”, said Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed at the annual Photo Exhibition and Prize Distribution Ceremony arranged by Rawalpindi Islamabad Photo Journalist Association (RIPA) in collaboration with and at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and the Peace and Culture Organization (PCO). “A photographer has to risk his life in a battle field, bomb explosion site, floods, earthquakes etc. We are proud of them and will try our level best to share their hardships and help them in solving their problems and issues” commented Ambassador of Azerbaijan, Ali Ali Zada whilst highlighting the role of a Photo Journalist and called them a main pillar of the present media. Chairperson PCO Mushaal Mullick appreciated the role of photographers with special reference to the coverage of Kashmir in highlighting and exposing the brutalities of Indian forces and the misery of the Kashmiri people. President RIPA Sajjad Haider in his welcome address thanked all the guests and expressed his commitment to work for the betterment of his community in all aspects. He further highlighted the problems and issues faced by Photo Journalists and commended their bravery. The chief guest distributed prizes among the photographers.