Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (Khushnood-Amir Group) on Saturday called for "violence-free Pakistan" at an all parties conference organised by it here at a local hotel. Attended by representative of both ruling and opposition parties, human rights campaigners and people from different walks of life, the conference urged media to be more responsible while treating news of sensitive nature.
A resolution was adopted urging the media not to broadcast or publish news, statement, or articles that could trigger any kind of violence in the society. Media should not present the killers as hero, but should expose those religious or political parties, which run militant wings, the resolution says.
The conference also urged upon all political and religious parties to expel the violent elements from their ranks, propagate their views against violence and should not indulge in spreading hatred against their rival groups. Parties should not inference in investigation against the elements involved in violence, the resolution stated, adding they should also expose the faces of those groups running militant wings.
Parties, the resolution says, should not display weapons in their gatherings and rallies, adding that they should honour the media's freedom and avoid pressurising media. The conference also demanded of the government to ban all factories making weapons, explosives, and other war-gadgets and instruments.
The government should also take the stringent measures to stop weapons smuggling. The government should carry weapons monitoring of the holders, the conference demands.
Haider Abbas Rizvi, Imtiaz Alam, Asad Iqbal Butt, Javed Akbar, Hanif Tayyab, Imtiaz Khan Faran, Khursheed Abassi, Ali Hassan Chandio, Iqbal Haider, Mir Hasil Bazenjo, and Fauzia Wahab were prominent speakers, who supported the resolution. They agreed on a single point to cleanse not only Karachi but the whole country from weapons.
They said the nation's future was in free-violence society for which the government in collaboration of the masses should begin de-weaponization across the country. They pointed out the police had its own restraints including the political interference in investigations, allowing the crimes and violence to thrive. They said the lengthy and tedious judicial process was also causing violence and increase in other crimes. They said the religious schools should also adopt modern education system to help streamline the society.