Surveys: Memon chides media for ignoring govt version
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Information Minister Nisar A Memon on Friday urged media men to help create an atmosphere in the days till general elections that prepares people to accept the will of the masses expressed through ballot on February 18.
He was talking to editors of national dailies who had a detailed meeting with the minister. The minister said political parties should call workers conventions after the elections and try to analyse the will of the masses instead of rejecting it.
Nisar Memon to a query said all countries be they friendly or not should keep off elections as any undesired interference will affect the future relations of Pakistan with that country. He said arrangements had been made in accordance with the demand for deployment of rangers and police. He said there are 15,000 volunteers in Sindh and 50,000 in the Punjab who are committed and security cleared people.
Talking about the Katcha areas of Sindh, he said these were only five per cent and cannot play a major role. Talking about responsible reporting, Nisar Memon said non-representative foreign NGOs like PILDAT had been given more coverage than was due to such non entities.
He said International Republican Institute (IRI) was commonly known being against Pakistan due to the support of President Bush to Pakistan but IRI surveys had been given wide coverage on front pages by newspapers.
He said the government version had either been ignored altogether or was given very insignificant space on inside pages. The norm of making the news balanced was ignored. He said personal wishes and whims were being reported as news items.
Nisar Memon said in these near-election days, media should report positively about anything related to terrorism. Similarly, he said the reporting of election results should be careful. This is the time to give hope to the nation and help it come out of despair, he said adding, “let us unite and not divide our people”. Earlier, the minister offered condolences over the death of Dr Chishti Mujahid.
Source: The News
Date:2/16/2008
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