Nepal, Sept. 23 -- Lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have objected to the government's decision to reduce funding for public welfare advertisements, arguing that the move has further strained Nepal's struggling media sector.

Speaking during the zero hour of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Buddhi Prasad Pant said it was unfortunate that journalists, often regarded as the country's "fourth estate," had been forced to take to the streets to demand their professional rights and legitimate concerns.

Pant highlighted three major issues affecting the media sector: cuts in public welfare advertising funds allocated to self-employed and small-investment media outlets, what h...