Govt believes in freedom of responsible media: Soomro
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro said on Saturday that challenges of misperception within and outside the country needed to be addressed at the earliest and the media focus should be turned to improving the political atmosphere leading up to the forthcoming general elections.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the media-related issues and the role of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Soomro said the government believed in the freedom of a responsible media and would take all necessary measures to ensure conditions conducive for the smooth functioning of the media. “Media has an important role to play in dissemination of information and in educating the masses on issues of national importance,” he added. “The role of media will be significant during the forthcoming elections when it has to discharge its obligations with responsibilities,” he said.
The PM stressed the need to increase community’s participation in media, particularly on issues pertaining to public concern. “The public views on the national issues, particularly the problem of terrorism, have to be shared through different means of communication,” he maintained. Commenting on the prevailing government-media relations, Soomro said the government sincerely desired to accommodate concerns of all stakeholders nevertheless it had to be realised that no institution in any state of the world was left un-regulated. “A balance has to be maintained in the best interest of the society,” he added.
Soomro asked the ministry of information and broadcasting to accord priority to the process of consultation with the representative bodies of the media and finalise mutual understanding on the code of conduct for the regulation of media, as per law.
He said the present caretaker government, having specific objectives and tenure, would focus on the ultimate end of ensuring free, fair and transparent elections. “All the government organisations and departments must coordinate and speed up pace of work accordingly,” he said. Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar A Memon apprised the meeting of the measures his ministry would take to ensure free media coverage of the general elections.
Memon said the code of conduct was prepared in accordance with the internationally accepted norms and after detailed interaction with all the stakeholders.
The meeting was informed that the print media was functioning in complete freedom, while the electronic media was regulated according to the PEMRA laws. Negotiations with two private TV channels were continuing to settle the issues on the code of conduct for regulation of electronic media under the PEMRA law, the meeting was informed.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/18/2007
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