PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Friday said media was an important ‘pillar’ of the state and a free and responsible press was essential for strengthening democracy in the country. He stated this while speaking as the chief guest at a ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s House here on Friday, where cheques of grant-in-aid were distributed to various press clubs, according to a statement. Adviser to the chief minister for information and public relations Barrister Dr Mohammad Ali Saif, secretary information Arshad Khan, director general information and public relations Mohammad Imran, and representatives of all press clubs attended the event. Mr Gandapur distributed cheques of grant-in-aid to representatives of various press clubs across the province. The chief minister said it was through the media that public issues were highlighted, and steps were taken to resolve them. “The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government firmly believes in press freedom and welcomes constructive criticism from the media, with the aim of addressing shortcomings in light of such feedback,” he said. He stated that it was the government’s duty to promote every sector and provide equal opportunities to all segments of society. “We must tackle the challenges facing the country, including law and order and economic difficulties, proactively,” he said, adding that a strong voice needed to be raised to fix the country’s economy and ensure that public funds were spent on the people. Mr Gandapur said his government was working on converting challenges into opportunities as they were the trustees of the public’s money, which would be spent solely on the people. He stressed the importance of accountability for this responsibility. He also urged self-correction and the determination to learn from mistakes and avoid repeating them. He said the KP government was generating funds to provide scholarships to students. He said collective efforts were necessary to ensure the development of the province in general and the country in particular so that future generations inherited a stable and prosperous nation.