The President of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Syed Faseih Iqbal, announced here on Wednesday the constitution of the Media Complaints Commission (MCC) of the CPNE. Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid has given his consent to head the MCC as its first chairman.
The CPNE President said various members of the organisation as also of civil society in Pakistan had been pressing the CPNE very strongly for the formal launching of the Media Complaints Commission.
He said that the recent events including the violence and pressures suffered by the media persons, media organisations and the civil society in the country warranted immediate constitution of the Media Complaints Commission of the CPNE so that grievances and complaints regarding free flow of information, media freedom, performing of professional duties and violation of journalistic code of ethics could be addressed to exert moral and ethical pressure on all the stakeholders.
Syed Faseih Iqbal said that the atrocities perpetrated on media personnel in the recent days has no parallel in the history of Pakistan and in the backdrop of the six decades old struggle for press freedom of the CPNE in conjunction with other media organisations pledged to the upholding of press freedom in Pakistan.
Syed Faseih Iqbal said that the record of the CPNE in respect to the struggle for freedom of press over the past six decades speaks for itself. At this crucial juncture of the nations' history and its march in the pursuit of undiluted democratic practice, it has become inevitable that the CPNE facilitates constitution of an independent Media Complaints Commission.
The CPNE Members at the last two annual meetings had already authorised the constitution of the Media Complaints Commission in order to strengthen freedom of media and to fulfil a very important requirement of the agenda of press freedom being pursuit by the CPNE since its inception along with other organisations.
However, it is important that the Media Complaints Commission of the CPNE should become functional. Therefore, the constitution of the Media Complaints Commission with effect from today is in keeping with the overall policy objectives of the CPNE and directives given by the last annual general meeting.
Syed Faseih Iqbal declared that the Media Complaints Commission of the CPNE will be performing a function which is not in conflict with the Press Council of Pakistan which has yet to take off.
Syed Faseih Iqbal said the first meeting of the Media Complaints Commission will be held on October 23, 2007 under the chairmanship of Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid and would be attended by the member of the commission which include veteran journalist Mehmood-ul-Aziz as commission's Vice Chairman, renowned media person Ikram-ul-Majeed Sehgal and seasoned journalist Younus Riaz.
At its first meeting the Media Complaints Commission will finalise its own rules of business and procedures for entertaining various grievances and complaints within the framework of the Media Complaints Commission's objectives. He said that the forthcoming first meeting of the Media Complaints Commission would be a successful beginning towards the goal of providing a forum which meets Urgent public demand to redress the obstacles arid hindrances against freedom of media which would be in the service of democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan.-PR
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