Media has the responsibility to bring the facts before the public, and civil society should participate actively to respond to the situation whatever the odds. There is need to promote culture of tolerance, the role of National Assembly is based on difference of opinion and should not be criticised for undisciplined behaviour.
This was the crux of the seminar on Pakistani Media "Threats and Challenges of Media" organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, here on Monday. The seminar was supposed to be attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani but could not come due to some other important commitment. The Secretary Information was called, but he also showed his unavailability. Director General ISPR Major General Sultan Shaukat finally agreed, as told by the panel, but he could not make it.
Hassan Khan of AVT Khyber Television revealed the stories of different journalists who have been threatened time and again, and many have faced serious consequences and lost their lives. He said that the journalists in the FATA area are facing very hard time. There are no journalists left in the area, as they have migrated, he added. The reporting is being carried out through government's own representatives now, he said.
The journalists are facing threats from all sectors, such as government, militants, agencies and not the least from tribal. They are forced by Talebans to call them Mujahideen, whereas government names them as terrorists. Tribal conflicts also pose threat to them for siding with one party or the other.
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