Experts of civil society, owners of private TV channels, representatives of associations of electronic and print media and advertisers, teachers and students of Mass-communication Department University of Karachi and others have reviewed the recommendations of Media Commission appointed by Supreme Court of Pakistan.
This review was held at a roundtable event jointly organised by Citizens’ Initiatives on Media Issues (CIMI), and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in collaboration with Department of Mass-Communications, University of Karachi here at a local hotel on Monday. Philipp Kauppert, Resident Director, FES, Pakistan said that media of Pakistan is developing day-by-day, but it needs some reforms.
He said that FES is working for the real development of all kind of media in Pakistan and “we are supporting civil society and NGOs which are working for media reforms”, he said. Later, former Senator Javed Jabbar, Convenor CIMI and member Media Commission has told the participants about the making of Media Commission by Supreme Court of Pakistan and its report.
He told that on 15th January 2013, a bench of Supreme Court of Pakistan comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain during its deliberations on Constitutional Petition No 105/2012 along with CMAs-3795 and 3798 of 2012, HRC No 23957-S/2012 and Const P 53/2012 and Constitution Petition No 104 of 2012 and CMA 3464/12 and Constitution Petition No 117/12 rendered an order by which a Commission (called Media Commission) was appointed by the court to conduct a study of issues raised by the several petitions through nine Terms of Reference (TORs).
He added that the Commission comprises as Chairman former Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and former Member Senator Javed Jabbar. Immediately after the receipt in Karachi by the Chairman and the member of the written text of the order and the related documents, on about 21st January 2013, the Commission commenced informal discussion to identity the elements needed for the work of the Commission including a time schedule, logistical, personnel and financial requirements.
He said that the Commission submitted Part-one of the Report on 21st March, 2013. He said that during preparation of Part-Two of this report, the Commission continued to face difficulties in conducting work from offices located in rooms rented for this purpose at Qasr-e-Naz, the Federal Lodge at Karachi. Nevertheless, the Commission was able to complete the drafting of Part-Two of the Report before the deadline of 31st May, 2013, Javed said. He said that this document contains the five sections including Executive Summary of Recommendations in Part-Two of the Report, detailed findings, observations, and recommendations by the Commission on 9 Terms of Reference (TORs).
