Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari has said that he believed in the role of media for transforming the state and society into an integral entity capable of making its way through difficult times and preparing the nation to gird itself up for the challenges of future. He said media is an important institution of the state structure. It should consider itself a part of state and do the corrective action as the stakeholder of the system and not as the outside player though maintaining its impartiality towards other institutions of the state. The President was talking to the Editors-in-Chiefs/Editors of leading National Dailies here at Aiwan-e-Sadr this evening.
The President observed that our society is passing through a phase which was experienced by the developed world in the earlier part of 20th century when new innovations and advent of media set in motion the process of social change. Such social experiences in the national life are to be affected under watchful eyes of the wise and learned personalities from different fields of human activity, the President opined.
Pakistani people have struggled for democracy and supremacy of the civil society which is best expressed in the form of parliamentary system, the president said and further added that his recent letter to the Prime Minister comprising directions for initiating the process for implementation of character of Democracy was a step towards fulfilling the promise of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto made with the nation.
The president viewed the current situation of relations with the US on the issue of war on terrorism as a pivotal point in the foreign policy domain and advised the media to analyze it with objective approach and realizing the constraints on Pakistan’s part and the room available for exercise of policy options under the regional and global compulsions. The President said that Pakistan has to closely watch the situation arising out of interests of superpowers and neighbors and devise a policy how to safeguard our own interests in the atmosphere of competitive strategic goals and objectives.
The President informed the editors of national press that violence and extremism is now threatening our own body politic and it has to be confronted by rising above the individual and parochial thinking. He stressed that we will have to act before it is too late and media may take a clear view on this. Writers and opinion makers should see this menace of terrorism as a common threat because giving ideological moorings to this phenomenon may result in the shape of damage to the whole civilization edifice; the President shared his thoughts with editors.
The President termed the political situation of the country moving towards stability and hoped that political forces are working for the equilibrium in the political equation of the country which will enable the government to improve the economy and raise the level of social development and reduce the disparities in the economic condition of various segments of populations. Government is working to bring the inflation to single digit and considering expansion in the Benazir Income Support Fund as a step to provide relief to the people, the president apprised the editors.
The President expressed his concern over the situation in Balochistan and appealed to the people of Balochistan for maintaining calm and allowing the government to investigate the matter and take steps to the satisfaction of Baloch people. On Swat issue, the President underscored the importance of upholding the peace and commitments made by the Taliban and reverting to normalcy and bringing back the area to the mainstream of Pakistani polity. He further assured that government will honour the aspirations of local people of Swat.
The President also touched on the power shortage problem in his discussion with the editors and recounted the efforts of the government, first to the bridge the gap in the demand of electricity and then plan for the sustainable long term projects to meet the future demands of power consumption.
Mr. Qamar Zaman Kaira Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Syed Sumsam Ali Shah Bokhari Minister of State for Information, Mr. Azeem Daultana Parliamentary Secretary Ministry of Information, Mr. Ashfaq Ahmad Gondal Secretary Information, Mr. Shabbir Anwer, Principal Information Officer were present on the occasion.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Majeed Nizami, Editor-in-Chief Daily Nawa-e-Waqty/ Waqt News, Mr. Arif Nizami, Editor The Nation, Mr. Mehmood Sham, Group Editor Daily Jang, Mr. Arshad Zubari, Chief Editor Daily Business Recorder, Mr. Mujeebur Rahman Shami, Chief Editor Daily Pakistan, Lahore, Mr. Abbas Ather, Editor Daily Express, Lahore, Mr. Sajjad Bokhari, Chief Editor Daily Musawaat, Mr. Merhtab Khan, Chief Editor Daily Ausaf, Mr. Khushnood Ali Khan, Chief Editor Daily Jinnah, Islamabad, Mr. Zahid Malik, Chief Editor Pakistan Observer, Mr. Sardar Khan Niazi, Chief Editor Pakistan.
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PID
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