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Pakistan needs a comprehensive citizen-centric information policy and the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms should expand the scope of article 19 to include ‘citizens' right to know,” demanded the participants of Academia and Civil Society round table conference on Freedom of Information in Pakistan ” arranged by Centre for Civic Education.
Journalism schools and professional media training institutes should embed the concept of access to information and active citizenship in their curricula, participants stressed. These suggestions figured during a lively discussion among the members of civil society and heads of the schools of journalism. Prominent among the participants included; Dr. Syed Abdul Siraj (Allama Iqbal Open University), Dr. Rafia Taj (Karachi University), Dr. Muhammad Nawaz Mehsud (University of Sargodha), Dr. Waseem Akbar, (Gomal University), Dr. Zafar Iqbal (International Islamic University), Sajjad Paracha (Islamia University Bahawalpur), Dr. Shamim Zaidi (Fatima Jinnah Women University), Salma Umber (G.C University Faisalabad), Musatfa Nasir (University of Gujrat), Murtaza Noor (Higher Education Commission), Fauzia Shaheen (Women Media Centre), Abrar Hafeez (Consumers Rights Commission), Adnan Rehmat (Intermedia) and Zafarullah Khan (Centre for Civic Education).
Our media schools need to be compatible with contemporary market requirements along with adhering to the nation building mission of the media, said the participants. Freedom of information (FOI) appears to be a confusing expression, said Sijjad Paracha and suggested to rename it as, “Public Access to Documents and Records.” Dr. Zafar Iqbal advocated for proactive information regime by using the possibilities of e-governance. Dr. Wasim Akbar said, “new Pakistan is emerging amid new freedoms, but terrorism is a big hurdle on the way to a better future.”
Speakers also urged for increasing constitutional literacy to make citizens' contract with the state more meaningful. “FM radios at universities can play an effective role in this regard,” said Dr. Syed Abdul Siraj. We need bottom-up approach to realize citizen's right to know and institutionalize access to information culture at local level, said Mustafa Nazir. The paradigms of civic and development journalism are need of the hour in order to get rid from protocol journalism, said Dr. Rafia Taj.
“Talk shows are just one genre whereas the vibrant electronic media has many more aspects,” said the speakers and emphasized to make best use of new media environment to enrich nations' democratic experience. Media has the capacity to shape public opinion and perceptions. It should play its' role in raising awareness regarding civic issues, they added. The participants regarded the citizens' right to know as a best fence against corruption and to safeguard the interests of the people. “However, in Pakistan , people are not sensitized about the effectiveness of this right and they continue to suffer bad governance,” said Zafarullah Khan and asked the media to come forward to educate people about the power of their right to know and bring about healthy social and democratic change in the society.
The participants said that it's ironic that not only common man of the country is unaware about FOI law the media professionals also show little interest to retrieve information through this tool. “The countries where the access to information laws are effectively implemented, there one can see the rule of law, peace and progress of in the society,” said the participants.
The ethical and moral values of journalism also came under discussion during the roundtable conference and the participants highlighted the need of training, capacity building of journalists as well as importance of introducing civic and community journalism courses. The participants of the conference shared the hope that the civil society, academia and media industry would join hands to improve the current sorry state of the affairs with coordinated efforts, especially to educate the people of Pakistan regarding how to exercise their basic rights including retrieving information through FOI law.
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