LAHORE - The speakers say that role of media is explicit in the society not only to point out dark aspects but also guide masses.

They said it while addressing a sitting at Hameed Nizami Press Institute of Pakistan (HNPIP). The institute held a seminar on “National Issues and Media’s Priorities” Thursday at HNPIP auditorium, Majid Nizami Road Lahore. Institute director Absar Abdul Ali was the moderator.

Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed said that departments like NAB, Parliament, bureaucracy and almost all others were not performing as per their mandate. Those departments which are delivering are due to media’s watchdog role.

“The media could be claimed to be the most important organ of the state. Minor Tayyaba case whom media highlighted and court took suo-moto notice can be quoted as one such example. There are many such instances which could not grab media attention and failed to come to limelight,” he added.

The opposition leader said that the dark aspects of life are often highlighted in media. If direction is given to media to form a system it would be blessing. There is no system to resolve the public issues as departments were not working as per their law. Even our assemblies are wasting time and resources.

In the assembly, the ruling majority always supports the treasury on all issues and the opposition members oppose them. Adhocism is prevailing, babus prepare budget and parliamentarians know nothing about it before they were handed over the bulky copies of it. Here standing committees stand nowhere as they are not empowered. More than half of such committees couldn't convene a single meeting in the entire year, he claimed.

Media don't reflect facts often, Rasheed said. In ten DHQs there is no single ventilator and patients were forced to travel miles away in critical stage. We discuss health, education, potable water but such issues failed to get media attentions and are often ignored. On the other hand there is no standard of the breaking news aired, he held.

Progress on National Action Plan (NAP) is very slow as government was not focusing it. The media should highlight it. Moreover corruption should be pointed out with facts so that anti corruption organization become proactive, he maintained.

“We are on 133rd position regarding expenditure on humans. We ate focusing on visibility. We spend Rs 150 billion for health, education etc while we spare Rs 400 b for roads and Orange Line etc. The media should prioritise such issues to bring revolution,” he added. He further said that there should be no sensationalism in media.

Dr Farid Pirracha said it seemed there are only issues in Pakistan and no system to resolve them. Issues like terrorism, Kashmir issue are neglected by media. The most important Kashmir issue failed to get place in headlines. The government also failed to highlight in international forums.

Corruption is also an issue that should be highlighted. There is 72 billion dollars foreign debt but we lacked assets against this huge amount. He said that we constructed Pakistan Steel Mills against Russian loan, heavy mechanical Complex with Chinese money. There is nothing in the picture to see against the US, World Bank or IMF loans. The media should question it too.

Media are not sole responsible for issues, courts, bureaucracy, rulers, parliament and many others are equally responsible.

“We damaged trust, sanctity of vote which promoted terrorism. We could not construct dam, we generated non issues. Moreover, undue commercialism also damaged media credibility because it grabbed place for the news the readers demand,” he held.