• December 27, 2007
• General News, Training and Capacity Building
• Web Desk

Date:
December 27th, 2007
Location:
Karachi

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organized a one-day dialogue program for journalists and civil society members on Media Coverage of Elections in Karachi on December 27, 2007.

Forty-nine journalists and civil society members participated in the workshop, facilitated by Chief Reporter of Daily Nawa-e-Waqt Karachi Yousuf Khan.

The objectives of the workshop were to develop the capacity of journalists in covering electoral process and developing their capacity and skills in investigative reporting.

The output of the workshop was making a strategy for projecting social issues during the general elections, analysis of seat-to-seat position in polls, improving investigative reporting skills of participants for better election coverage.

Program facilitator Yousuf Khan said today media, both print and electronic, is playing a vital role in every walk of life. He said its role in the ensuing general elections would be equally important. He said the coming election, which has been described as “the mother of all elections”, would determine the fate of democracy in Pakistan. He said this election would be closely watched by some 22000 observers, 20000 local and 2000 foreign.

Khan said besides these observers, the media could also play an important role in closely monitoring the polls process. He said the journalists are in a better position to monitor the polls, as they are given special passes to visit the polling stations on the election day. He said a close vigil by media would greatly minimize the chances of poll rigging and other negative maneuvering.

Secretary General Pakistan Press Foundation Owais Aslam Ali said media is a tool for projecting various elections issues, but the curbs on Pakistani media have made itself an election issue. He said in the year 2002 with the start of Geo TV a healthy political environment was created in Pakistan. The electronic media also helped introduce positive changes in the civil society.

Ali said the curbs on judiciary and media during last year had greatly harmed the democratic values in Pakistan. He said a few people may have some complaints from the media, but it is a fact that the media great helped political parties in shaping and sustaining their identity.

He said the Pakistan Press Foundation is a part of the international organization of journalists, Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), which works for free and fair polls and monitors elections on global level. He said PPF has arranged training workshops for election coverage in more than 20 districts of Sindh and Balochistan.

Kanwar Khalid Younus Leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said Pakistan got its independence 60 years ago, but the Pakistani media was freed only some five years back. He said his party wanted to introduce a bill in parliament regarding democracy and media, but the media protested and walked out from the press gallery.

Younus said the media should criticize politicians and expose the corrupt ones. He felt the media was not playing its due role in highlighting the importance of 2008 general elections. He opined that the coverage of ongoing judicial crisis in Pakistan is one-sided.

Ex-MNA of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Ms. Fuazia Wahab said the media has failed to highlight the burning issues of Pakistan. She said the issues of poverty and price hike are not being covered properly by the media. She said the basic issues like the restoration of democracy are being ignored.

Wahab said her party favored a free media and judiciary, but it wants strengthening institutions instead of personalities. She said the media criticizes the PPP for corruption, but it ignores its positive economic policies. She urged that media should focus more on the investigative reporting which would bring a positive change in the society.

Tahir Najmi, Editor Daily Express, said in Pakistan the media has never remained totally free. He said in fact the media is never completely free in any country of the world. He said the overall role of Pakistan media is healthy and positive, adding it is also playing a commendable role in raising awareness amongst people about the coming general elections.

Sher Muhammad Khuhawar, Bureau Chief Daily Mehran Hyderabad, said it is a bad luck of Pakistanis that they do not have proper leadership. He said Pakistani politicians lack moral values and integrity. He said only two political forces, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal are giving party tickets to poor and low-income group people, while other parties give party tickets only to rich people and feudal lords and tribal chiefs.

Secretary General of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Iqbal Haider said media is closely related to politics. He said present rulers are putting curbs on electronic media, which is not a good omen for democracy and Press freedom in Pakistan. He said not only Press freedom is being curtailed, but also the freedom of judiciary is put in jeopardy.

He alleged that the Election Commission in Pakistan is not neutral and impartial, and the coming elections would be a farce. He lauded the working journalists for raising voice for a free media and judicatory in Pakistan.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Media Coordinator Ms. Fuazia Aijaz said in Pakistan media got some freedom during last five years. She said many new electronic channels were introduced during this period. She said there is a need to bring more improvements in the electronic media, as it was not yet mature enough.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh Chapter Information Secretary Zahid Rafiq Batt said that in the present circumstance Pakistani media is playing a courageous role. He said the media is not only being pressurized by the government but also by the ruling political parties. He regretted the politicians are alleging that elections would be a farce, but they are also taking part in them. He said the strong resistance of journalists against media curbs is praiseworthy.

Faisal Aziz of Geo News said Pakistani politicians are not mature enough, and they have a role on the recent curbs on the media. He said the media could also commit mistakes, but the overall performance of the Pakistani media is laudable.

Syed Warasat Hassnain Rizvi, senior reporter of Daily Business Recorder, said Pakistani media has become commercial. He said in many media organizations the owners themselves have become editors. He urged the media to highlight the electoral process and manifestoes of political parties.

Khawar Khan of Dawn News said it is the media that sets the social agenda for politicians by focusing on the issues faced by people. He urged the media to give more coverage to the political parties so that a democratic political culture could be introduced in Pakistan.

Fayaz Qureshi, General Secretary Thatta Press Club, said there are complaints that the present caretaker setup is not neutral and impartial. He said the media in rural area is working under pressure and stress, but anyway it is discharging its professional responsibilities in a commendable manner.

Syed Javed Shah, bureau chief Daily Hilal-e-Pakistan Larkana, said in rural areas powerful feudal and tribal lords often pressurize the media. He said 75percent of women living in rural areas have no computerized identity cards and it would result in massive rigging at the polling stations of women.

Director News and Current Affairs Indus News Ms. Shaheen Salahuddin said the media is now highlighting issues which were a taboo in the past. She said now we can openly talk about even religious customs, which was not possible in past. She said the media has to play a vital role in the monitoring the poll process.

Hakim Ali Sanjrani, a Shikarpur-based journalist, said in rural areas journalists work in difficult condition. He said many organizations do not give proper wages and facilities to their rural reporters.

Aijaz Leghari, reporter of Daily Sobht Jamshoro, said in rural areas some political parties try to dictate to journalists. He stressed the need to develop rural journalism and press clubs.

Professor Tauseef Ahmed, Chairman Department of Mass Communication, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) said there are many models of democracies and electoral systems in the world. He said there is the model of the USA and Europe where the media is free and helps forming public opinion through debates and discussions. He said there is another model of Egypt, Jordan and Algiers where same rulers rule the masses for decades. He said in this model the role of media is negligible. He said there is the model of Indian democracy where elections are considered free and fair which could be followed by us in view of similarity of conditions.

Prof. Ahmed there is no concept of free and fair polls without a free media. He said political parties should support and strengthen media freedom. He said the media should highlight the burning issues faced by the people and the nation.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) Chairman Fazal Qureshi in his closing speech said they are holding training programs for journalists in far-flung areas of the country to raise professional skills of journalists regarding poll coverage. He said though there is no concept of an absolute freedom of media but nevertheless there are some global standards of media freedom that should also be followed in our country.

Qureshi said the Pakistani press despite difficulties and hardships is performing a brave and laudable role.