Najaam Sethi, editor-in-chief of Pakistan's Daily Times and Friday Times, will collect the award in March 2009, the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) announced this week.
The award is made annually to individuals who have made 'outstanding actions in the cause of press freedom' in order to inspire others to do the same, a release from WAN said.
WAN said that Sethi, who edits Pakistan's Daily Times and Friday Times, was 'committed to provide truthful and independent coverage' in his journalism.
The editorial policy of his newspapers, publications which condemn autocracy and religious fundamentalism, has led him to be 'at odds with both Pakistani authorities and religious groups for many years', the release said.
In 1999 Sethi was imprisoned forspeaking negatively about the Prime Minister in a BBC documentary; he has been threatened with death by the Taliban and other radical Muslim groups; and has been jailed and beaten for offending the government.
"Extremists have always used coercion to silence their critics and that is exactly what is happening now [...] This is a battle that the media and the country cannot afford to lose," Sethi said in the release.
Sethi will formally accept the award at the World Newspaper Congress, due to take place March 22-25, 2009 in Hyderabad, India.
The WAN Golden Pen of Freedom has been awarded annually since 1961 and recent recipents include Chinese journalists Shi Tao and Li Changqing.
A full list of laureates can be found at the WAN homepage.
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