Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan on Saturday described the opposition's hue and cry about rigging in the local bodies' elections as unfounded. He said Sindh Information Department for elections' coverage took some 95 journalists to polling stations and none of them reported a single incident of rigging.
Addressing at a launch of Association of Television Journalists (ATJ) at a hotel here on Friday night, the Governor said electronic media has a particular role in building up public opinion. He said if any rigging had been taking place anywhere, they must have covered the same directly. The Governor said credit goes to Sindh Government for organising peaceful local bodies' elections.
He said journalism was a noble profession and media people owed a great responsibility in the discharge of their duties. President Pervez Musharraf, he said had taken revolutionary steps for freedom of press and adopted an open media policy so as to make every information accessible to common man.
He pointed out that earlier Karachi used to be regarded as an economic and social hub, but after the formation of TV Journalists Association, it could now also be regarded as the hub of Journalism.
Provincial Minister for Labour and Transport Adil Siddiqi, Advisor Local Government Waseem Akhtar and Advisor Information Salahuddin Hyder were also present on the occasion, among others.
The Governor asked the Association to frame its own code of conduct so that its members could bring transparency in the discharge of their journalistic responsibilities.
On the occasion he announced a grant of Rs one million for the Association, proper place for establishment of its office and residential plots for those having its membership during the next three months.
On the occasion Adil Siddiqi announced Rs 0.5 million for the Association besides Rs 100,000 by noted businessman Mian Zahid Hussain and Rs 25,000 by Advisor information Salahuddin Hyder.
Comments
Comments are closed.