‘People’s right to know not fully upheld’ | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

‘People’s right to know not fully upheld’

KARACHI, August 22 2006: Despite enshrinement in the United Nation’s charter of human rights and constitution of 1973, the people’s right know is not fully honored and recognized in the country and its institutions; certain groups in the society posed serious hindrances in fulfilling the fundamental right of the citizens. Speakers at an educational conference on Mass Communication with the title “Right to Know” said on Monday (Aug 21) that mass media should be allowed to function independently and disseminate information without hindrance, which could act as the fourth pillar of state and put surveillance on the functioning of the rest of the three pillars i.e., the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary.

The department of mass communication of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST), in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), organized the two-day national-level moot at the Arts Council’s auditorium. Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, who is deputy chair of the FUUAST’s senate, said that the human race since the known history of globe, had been facing restrictions and limitations on the people’s fundamental right to know but such barriers had always ceased to effect after sometime on desired public agitation.

He said that Islam posed no boundaries on the public’s right to know, however the faithful is obliged to observe certain moral and ethical restrictions and limitations, while disseminating and reproducing information for the public’s consumption. He said that newspapers in the country had turned into hereditary organizations and owners of the dailies had gravely amplified their influence and control over the editorial affairs of their publications.

He said that the country’s newspapers and mass media had been largely reporting and analyzing issues in the international perspective rather presenting them in national or regional perspectives and reflecting the popular aspirations and sentiments on any matter of public concern. Noted scholar and poet Jamiluddin Aali said that the Freedom of Information Ordinance, recently promulgated by the Sindh government, had unreasonably provided 12 areas of exceptions where people’s right to know in the governmental affairs had been denied.

He said that the Sindh government was under obligation to hold a media briefing and thoroughly explain its position as to why 12 exceptions had been given in the freedom of information ordinance. Also speaking at the inaugural session, Chairman Mass Communication Department, Assistant Prof Tauseef Ahmed Khan, said that the states, which had honored and recognized people’s right to know and need for independent working of mass media, had functioned substantively better for safeguarding the public interest.
Source: The News
Date:8/22/2006