South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) yesterday at its third conference decided to set up the media commission in New Delhi.

The media commission was set up to respond to attacks on journalists, promote free flow of information and harmonise ethical standards for journalists in South Asia.

All the Saarc foreign ministers attended the Safma conference yesterday during the lunch break of the council of ministers meet ahead of the Saarc summit. They pledged to ease visa restrictions for journalists of Saarc countries.

Accepting a key demand of media persons, foreign ministers of Saarc nations decided to give visa stickers to 50 journalists from each member country to facilitate their movement within the region.

Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the conference, "India will initiate the liberalisation of its visa regime for journalists from the region."

He said journalists are crucial in strengthening information connectivity among Saarc citizens to form the core of Saarc's base: a South Asian identity, culture and ambition.

Immigration officials from Saarc countries will meet within a few months to see how this decision can be implemented, Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon said last evening. The respective governments will issue the visa stickers.

Indian journalist N Ram will chair the commission while each country will have its own chapter. The Bangladesh chapter will be represented by News Today Editor Reazuddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, ATN Bangla Chief Reporter Munni Saha and two representatives each from the National Press Club and Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).