Role of media vital for peace: Rashid
ISLAMABAD – Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on May 8 said the role of media becomes more vital for peace in the days of conflict.
He was speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of a daylong seminar on Media in violent conflict and countries in transition, organized jointly by the Information Services Academy and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The seminar was organized to mark the World Press Freedom Day. Secretary Information Syed Anwar Mahmood and Principal Information Officer Muhammad Akram Shaheedi were also present. The minister said the government is strictly following the policy of nurturing and promoting a free, pluralistic and independent media in the country.
Rashid said realizing the significance of the free press in the evolution of a democratic society, the government has provided all sorts of facilities to the media. In this pursuit, he said, the monopoly of the government over the electronic media had since long been ended. A number of private TV channels have been working in the country thus providing a healthy environment of competition in the field, he added.
Highlighting the significance of media, he said, “It is more powerful than an atom bomb.” Therefore, he said, there was greater need to exercise highest care and caution while reporting the events and facts.”
Rashid said it is the responsibility of the media to play its healthy and positive role in promoting national harmony and cohesion by projecting the facts in their true perspective.
He said the state of liberty and freedom to the press could be gauged from the fact that it had been projecting those baseless and concocted things which had never happened.
Rashid eulogized the services of the journalists who always had been playing a daring role whether it was peace time or days of conflict. He said they must continue to play their effective role in promotion of peace even in the days of clash.
Secretary Information Syed Anwar Mahmood said it is the humanity which is affected due to conflicts and again it is the humanity which benefits from the resolution of the conflicts. Thus, he said, the press must continue to play its role for promotion of peace, especially during the days of conflict.
In his welcome address, Director UNESCO Pakistan Hassan Abadi said the UNESCO observes this day every year to mark the significance of press freedom which is a fundamental right in every democratic society.
Principal Information Officer Muhammad Akram Shaheedi, who chaired the first working session of the seminar, said maximum facilitation services are being provided to the media for ensuring free and fair coverage of the events.
Chairman Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Mian Muhammad Javed said the authority had issued 55 licenses in the private sector for the establishment of FM Radio stations in several parts of the country. It also issued 24 licenses to set up 24 MMDS channels, which speaks volumes about the government’s commitment to provide free access to the information to the common man. A large number of working journalists and media managers attended the seminar.
Source: The News
Date:5/9/2004
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