In a National Consultative Dialogue organized Saturday by Mediations Pakistan and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a selected gathering of media anchors, journalists, analysts, representatives of print media and civil society experts participated.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Dr. Mussadaq Malik, while sharing his remarks in the consultative dialogue said that specialized training and expertise is required for media reporting during disasters. “Role of media is pivotal in managing the impacts of the disaster and we need to learn from our mistakes”, said Dr. Mussadaq Malik.
Earlier Wajih Akhtar from mediations Pakistan presented the context of the consultative dialogue. Wajih Akhtar said that Pakistan has a vibrant media industry therefore it is imperative to get the point of views from media while making any guideline about disaster management plans in the country. “The objective of the consultative dialogue is to brainstorm on the role of media in disaster management and identify key challenges that come in the course of objective reporting,” he said.
Chairman NDMA, Major General Asghar Nawaz in his welcome remarks highlighted the fact that Pakistan is a land prone to disasters therefore it needs a vigilant media to inform and educate public to take preemptive measures. “Media has an ability to become eyes and ears of NDMA and guide us to plan better in the future,” he added.
Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, National Chairperson, Pakistan Girl Guides Association said that the main role is to educate the masses to remain calm in case of any disaster. “We lose more lives due to panic during disasters” the senator explained.
Participants during the candid discussion shared their perspectives to improve the role of media in disaster management. Key participants include Muhammad Ziauddin, Mazhar Abbas, Jamal Shah, P J Meer, Waseem Badami, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Dr. Farzana Bari, Mati Ullah Jan, Abdul Sattar Khan, Faisal Rehman, Anwar ul Hasan, Abdur Rauf, Beenish Saleem, Munizae Jahangir, Nadia Mirza, Saira Kabeer, Sahir Lodhi, Dr. Moeed Pirzada, Ammar Masood, Faisal Shakeel Syed and key reporters from print and electronic channels.
