Strong media is govt’s goal
The PPP government has taken it upon itself to be the torchbearer of freedom of press that it takes as the axis of strong democracy. The examples of this are easily discernible from the exceptional speed shown by the PPP-led government in taking the initiative of repealing black laws like the penalizing amendments in Pemra Ordinance.
Not only that, more freedom is about to come very soon as assured by none other than the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, and the media friendly Information Minister Sherry Rehman on a number of occasions especially during their meetings with the representative body of newspapers, All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).
The APNS office-bearers’ delegation was rather honoured prior to delegations from many other sectors. It was in all probability the first-ever delegation that the prime minister met that too during the earliest days of his assuming the new responsibilities. Of course, it is an honour for the media more so for the nation that is represented nowadays as much by the media as much by its elected representatives.
The meeting between Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and members of the APNS Executive Body turned out to be not merely an exchange of pleasantries but an exchange of concrete information and assurances. The PM gave solemn assurance to APNS that all issues confronting the media would be resolved in consultation with the stakeholders. He (PM) also offered his earnest support to the minister for information and broadcasting and APNS in this regard.
Reciprocating PM’s assurances, the APNS office-bearers expressed confidence in the leadership of the prime minister and opined that he (PM) had the experience and the will to handle difficult situations. The APNS members also referred to the current challenges whereas Arif Niazmi who is also President of CPNE, while reiterating abolition of laws hampering freedom of expression and speech said it was also incumbent upon media to develop self-responsibility.
Now this again goes to the credit of Gilani regime for having taken a democratic course that has not only been well received by the media but has also made the media seniors think about their own responsible conduct.
Similar utterances of mutually responsible conduct and of mutual confidence were heard during APNS office-bearers’ meeting with Information Minister Sherry Rehman as well. During that meeting, the members of the delegation, while appreciating the media friendly measures taken by the new democratic government, assured the minister of their complete support in the endeavours of the government for the establishment of a free, fair and responsible media in the country.
On that occasion too, the government showed full respect for the media with the sole objective of strengthening the media and promoting democracy. Sherry Rehman, on that occasion, talked about the vision of Benazir Bhutto. The minister said that inspired by Bhutto’s vision, we would remove all draconian media laws introduced by the previous regime and would facilitate the flow of information through an independent and free media and that the government would do all it can to ensure public access to information.
Sherry Rehman also reiterated the democratic government’s resolve that media would be given access to the meetings of the parliament’s standing committees and arrangements will be made for live coverage of these meetings: something that has never been practiced in the past.
It seems as if Gilani government and its Information Ministry are of the firm belief that strengthening of democracy is possible only and only through removal of shackles on media.
The nation is already quite happy over the tabling of a bill in the National Assembly for repeal of draconian amendments brought into effect in Pemra Ordinance on November 3 last. Obviously, as was expected, it has been well received by the electronic media that is grateful to the new government for reposing this much of confidence in the media.
Media people are equally happy with the establishment of Journalist Victim Fund that shows present government’s concern for those hard-working journalists who come across certain eventualities during the course of their duties.
These particular gestures of Gilani government are most likely to bring about considerable improvement and reformation of media. Media, if trusted, tends to be become more discreet and responsible in its overall conduct. Interestingly, many governments in the past have been demanding of media to show responsible conduct but these governments have been committing the follies of firstly using repressive measures and secondly, by interpreting ‘responsible conduct’ in its own peculiar perspective. By that peculiar perspective is meant a timid, docile media overlooking all the shortcomings of the ruling elite.
Pakistan People’s Party and its top guns, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, and Information Minister Sherry Rahman, in particular, have said a big ‘No’ to all these practices. No way, says Gilani and Sherry Rehman, media has to be trusted and strengthened, in order to see the democracy take roots in the country.
This philosophy is going to work well in revolutionizing the media because reposing confidence in media is just like making it more responsible. And this philosophy is also expected to forge greater harmony among different categories of politicians and political parties. Sherry Rehman has already announced certain measures that go in line with this approach. It is about the information minister’s recently issued instructions to state-controlled Pakistan Television (PTV) that there must be no blackout of Opposition as was the case during the previous regime.
According to Sherry Rahman, free and clean feed of the coverage of the parliament session will be provided to the private TV channels by PTV.
Source: The News
Date:4/19/2008
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