Need for independent local media in Tribal Areas stressed
PESHAWAR: Key stakeholders for tribal areas’ progress, including political parties, lawyers, media and civil society representatives, emphasized Tuesday the need for independent local media in FATA.
In a roundtable conference titled, “Can political reforms happen in FATA without media reforms?” participants endorsed extension of fundamental rights, including freedom of expression as enshrined under the Article 19 and 19A of the constitution, to FATA.
“We the stakeholders in FATA’s progress emphasize equal rights for the region’s people, as enshrined in the Constitution, as well as their enforcement through facilitative mechanisms, including and especially freedom of expression and right to information as promised in Articles 19 and 19A, as political reforms cannot be brought to fruition without media reforms in FATA”, read the formal declaration endorsed by participants at the end of the meeting.
The roundtable on mainstreaming FATA into Pakistani media legal framework, also attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Mian Iftikar Hussain who presented a comparative analysis on the state of media freedoms and information access in mainstream Pakistan and the tribal areas.
Aside from exploring legal perspectives on why citizens in FATA “fare poorly” in terms of indicators of freedom of expression and access to information, the roundtable explored how could media reforms be part of political reforms in FATA to strengthen the voice of the residents of the region and to guarantee their rights.
“Recent steps have been taken to introduce political reforms to bring the region into mainstream Pakistan and extend the same rights to the region’s citizens as granted to and exercised by the rest of the country. However, media reforms are not part of these important political reforms, which is a significant mistake in terms of the rights of FATA residents,” said a press release of Intermedia Pakistan, a national media development organization that conducted the roundtable dialogue.
Freedom of expression, as enshrined in the Article 19 of the Constitution and access to information, as guaranteed under Article 19A and inserted in the Constitutional in 2010 through the 18th Amendment, should be the cornerstone of the political rights extended to FATA, the press release said, adding that while this is assured by the state, it is not implemented in practice due to procedural obstacles that are not being removed.
To discuss the ignored link between people’s ability to exercise their political, social, economic and cultural rights and right to freedom of expression and access to information, Intermedia Pakistan is conducting a series of roundtables with FATA stakeholders including citizens of FATA, representatives and notables from the region, relevant government functionaries, political parties, civil society, media, regulators, and parliamentarians to educate them on this link as well as to forge a consensus on media reforms for FATA as a means to ensuring the success of political reforms for the region.
FATA is a theatre of conflict between Pakistani authorities and militants. The conflict has displaced many from the region and added a major socio-economic dimension to the regional conflict.
An outcome of this conflict has been greater media spotlight on the region and the state of denial of several rights to the locals in the practical context.
The round-tables will, besides considering the causes of the relative ‘information darkness’ in FATA in the absence of indigenous independent local media, explore mechanisms to improving awareness and providing support to bring FATA into the fold of mainstream media in Pakistan so that its residents are guaranteed freedom of expression and access to information as enshrined in the Constitution.
Source: Daily Times
Date:11/23/2011
” 
” 
” 
” 
” 
