The Concerned Citizens Forum arranged an 'interactive dialogue' on Press, Ethics and Pakistan at 's Alhamra Hall No.3 on Sunday, 8 August. The speakers included journalists Khaled Ahmed, Mujibur Rehman Shami, M.A. Niazi, Beena Sarwar, and citizens Cecil Chaudhry and Shahbaz Bhatti.

Khaled Ahmed, Consultant Editor The Friday Times (TFT), said the idea of journalism as 'mission' is at the root of decline of media ethics because it defies rules of business. The 'mission' is decided privately by newspaper-owners and often provides them alibi to renegade from their business contracts. He said the ethic is relating to work and commerce. Ethics have nothing to do with piety. But, Pakistani nation because of its 'warrior orientation' generally rejects ethics in favour of piety.

He said journalism is linked to democracy in a capitalist environment where the private sector of the economy plays its vigorous role. If the ads come from state no newspaper can be free. He said a budget of Rs.10 crore in information ministry had tamed the press because the economy did not support journalism. Despite the fact that journalism is active, it's very small in business terms and thus, devoid of ethics.
Khaled Ahmed complained that the press in Pakistan had not realised its status as the leader of civil society and was often guilty of working against it.

Mujibur Rehman Shami of daily Pakistan said that he was not 'linked' to the PML government. He was neither a part of the 'kitchen' nor the 'drawing room or 'bedroom' cabinet in Islamabad. He had always supported the PML against the PPP but that did not affect his journalism. His support to the PML was not unconditional but critical, which is how the press should function. He said the politicians had interpreted the speech of the Quaid all wrong. The Quaid had simply reiterated the principle of one 'ummat' enshrined in Mithaq-e-Madina (constitution) of Prophet Muhmmad PBUH under which Muslims and non-Muslims were accepted as one equal nation.

Mr. Shami said that in Pakistan mullahs and journalists had unleashed an uncontrolled storm of propaganda that was damaging the reputation of the country in the world. He said the ethics in the press were non-existent because some newspapers were busy openly blackmailing honourable citizens and other were misleading the masses through their irrational outpourings. He said his position on the national crises was well known, and that he had broken ranks with the other right-wing columnists in the Urdu press.

Beena Sarwar of The News narrated the story of the state control of the press and bemoaned the fact that the government was using the press to curtail its freedom. She said the press had played a negative and self-destructive role in favour of the state in 1971 by suppressing the facts about East Pakistan and had done it again in 1999 in Kargil. She noted that the PFUJ had gone to the Supreme Court to ask that government be restrained from interfering in the functioning of the press and from harassing journalists.

M. A. Niazi of The Nation puzzled over the definition of ethics and said Pakistanis were still borrowing western ethical standards and were not able to abide by them. He spoke strongly against police encounters and emphasised the need for journalists not to succumb to the 'stage-management' of killings by the police.
Cecil Chaudhry, Principal St. Anthony's School, reminded the audience of the fact that today the mosques were being attacked by Muslims, and sectarianism had been spread in the name of Islam. Press must take note of it. 

He recalled the 11 August 1947 speech of the Quaid and said the founder had ordained that the state would not interfere in matters of religion and all Muslims and non-Muslims would be simply Pakistanis. He criticised a statement by President Tarar that all children in Pakistan were born as Muslims. He corrected him by saying that all children born in Pakistan were in fact just Pakistanis because they were also Christians and Hindus and Sikhs.

Shehbaz Bhatti of Christian Liberation Front insisted that the press show play its rightful role in an environment where democratic institutions had declined. He asked journalists to defend the rights of the people and not submit to control by the government and state agencies. 

After the speeches, 'interactive' questions and comments from the audience were presented at rostrum and in some cases the guest speakers answered the questions.

Dr. Sohail Zafar is the secretary of Concerned Citizens' Forum.