Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the new-elected officials of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on winning annual election of the media body. CPNE President Kazim Khan, Senior Vice President Ayaz Khan, Secretary General Amir Mahmood and other officials were re-elected in polls held on Saturday. Freedom of the press and expression is an indispensable constitutional requirement for strengthening democracy, the PM said in a statement. The PML-N-led coalition government not only believes in protecting the media and freedom of expression but is taking steps to promote it, he added. PM Shehbaz said CPNE is a leading media body and the government will work with it to promote press freedom in Pakistan. “I pray that the newly-elected body will be able to fulfil its responsibility of serving journalists and journalism, for which they will have our full support,” the statement quoted him as saying. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar also felicitated the newly-elected members on election, saying CPNE has always promoted responsible journalism.