Speakers at a seminar said the media houses and organisations should improve cooperation between the electronic and print media of Pakistan and Afghanistan and train journalists to improve the media’s capacity to cover regional issues. Afghan Academy of Science’s Mr Habibullah Rafi, Samee Yousaf Zai and Danish Karokhel from Afghanistan, Amir Hashmi Khakwani from Express Tribune and Cyril Almeida of Dawn and other leading journalists were speaking at a public session organised by the Pak Institute for Peace (PIPS) at the National Press Club. The seminar, chaired by senior journalist Ashfaq Saleem Mirza, was titled ‘Pak-Afghan Media Cooperation and Impact on Bilateral Relations’.
The speakers called for enhanced collaboration between journalists in the two countries to raise voices for moderation and peace. Habibullah Rafi said the 21 century marked the rule of the media that set the Middle East revolution in motion, toppling the dictatorships of Tunis, Egypt and Libya. He said, “The media have always played a predominant role in the resolution of conflicts by eradicating misconceptions. The media can also play a critical role in bringing peace and stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
He added: “Although Afghani media is free to a considerable extent, yet the warlords exercise a marked influence on the media’s freedom. 150 different FM radio channels, 30 television channels and 300 newspapers, magazines and journals are published in Afghanistan.”
He stated that the electronic and print media are deficient in qualitative and quantitative journalism but the electronic media standards are better than that of the print industry.
He said the media focused on the agendas of different pressure groups and ignored the public issues in Afghanistan.
Samee Yousaf Zai said: “My 30-year experience has taught me that Pakistani media’s reporting is biased regarding the issues and problems of Afghanistan. The situation is the same in Afghanistan.”
Cyril Almeida said the media can play a significant role in challenging myths, removing misconceptions and bringing the two nations closer, adding that the two governments and media organisations can make this process more effective by facilitating journalists’ efforts.
The journalists said the humanitarian angle has largely remained missing in the one-dimensional reporting in both Pakistan and Afghanistan and that there was a need to give a complete picture of the sentiments and sufferings of the neighbouring countries.
The speakers urged that the two governments facilitate journalists by giving them hassle-free visas and that the main media houses station permanent correspondents in the neighbouring country.
The speakers stated that peace should be determined not by states and military, but by the people and the collaboration of the media was indispensable in that regard.
They added that the fact that the Pakistani and Afghan media got news of conflicts in the other country through western wire services highlighted the distances between the two countries.
The session was a part of the PIPS’ efforts, initiated last year to increase collaboration between Pakistani and Afghan media organisations and journalists to improve the quality and quantity of reporting on complex cross-border and regional issues.
PIPS holds seminar on Pak-Afghan media relations
