International Islamic University Islamabad Rector Professor Fateh Muhammad said Thursday that freedom of expression is a good thing but there have to be some limits. He was speaking at a seminar titled “Media Ethics in Disaster Reporting” organised by the Department of Media and Communication Studies. Information Minister Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan was the chief guest and IIUI President Professor Dr Mumtaz Ahmed presided over the event. Press Council of Pakistan’s Chairman Raja Shafqat was among the key note speakers.
Prof Malik said media should be able to differentiate between national interest and interest of the government. Government has to leave but a nation stays and it has to stay, he said. He said reporting should not be conducted in such a way that harms national institution.
Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said media was in need of trained professionals. She said media organisations should concentrate on training of their staff. She said the government had been working on building a media university with the help of China. She said there were some “unguided missiles” in private TV channels which were dangerous for national interest, adding media institutions should also focus on training of students for disaster reporting.
She said IIUI was a distinct institution all over the country. She said the government would be happy to hold training for its students for disaster management at higher level so that media has trained man powers in the future. She said she was hopeful that media would start playing a positive part in nation building in near future. The government was not in favor of restriction on media in any way, she clarified.
She said media had every right to criticize any institution but it should not go to the extent of damaging institutions. She said some journalists had vested interests that clash with the national interests.
Dr Zafar Iqbal Qadir, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority, Ahmad Barkat from Aljazeera TV and others spoke on the occasion.
‘Pak-Iran project only for energy demand’: Sui Southern Gas Company former general manager Brig (r) Agha Gul has said Pak-Iran gas pipeline project was aimed at meeting energy demand of Pakistan.
Talking to a private news channel, he said that Iran may provide finance to Pakistan for the project. He asked the US to understand Pakistan’s energy needs.
Senior leader of PPP Prof N D Khan said: “The US pressure on the issue of gas project with Iran is no surprise for Pakistan”.
He said the project is focused on Pakistan’s energy needs as the production of domestic natural gas is very low.
He said the government will provide funds for the construction of pipeline. He said gas is direly needed in the country and Pakistan would adopt specific way to get completed the project.
