Dr Mohammed Tanveerof the Journalists Resource Centre facilitated working group on mass media at the Pakistan Peace Conference at Karachi on Feb 27-28, 1999. The conference was organised locally by the Action Committee Against Arms Race (ACAAR), a component organization of  Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC).

The guiding theme of the conference was the root causes of war and a culture of peace, as a comprehensive delegitimisation of violence in national governance and armed conflict in international disputes. Nearly 400 participants from Pakistan and around the world attended the conference which aimed at the promotion of civil, political, gender, environmental and economic rights for all. 

Besides written and oral presentations and the cultural activities, ten different working groups were evolved to bring about solid agenda in thematic areas of interest and expertise. These working groups contributed to themes of security and disarmament, economics of war and peace, peace politics in the mass media, art and culture, gender and militarization, advocacy for peace, peace education, regional conflicts, role of north and international peace movements, and peace politics in the labour movement. 

Following is the final and approved draft of the working on mass media where Hussain Naqi, Dr. Jabbar Khattak, Anwar Sen Roy, Rahat Dar, Ghulam Rasool Sehito and Jharana Jhaveri (India) also participated in the discussions, among other contributors.

"Observation:

Mass media's outreach, its potential to shape public opinion and convert peace activism into a mass movement was never felt so severely as now when peace lobbies in the subcontinent have begun to see signs of a better scenario in India-Pakistan relations.

Despite new hopes and development, we witness a gap between them and the mass media's coverage of events that followed after Chagi/Pokhran nuclear tests. "Very few newspapers wrote against them" was the general observation of this working group. 

43 media practitioners cutting across all categories of media i.e. editors, owners, reporters and free-lance journalists from national and regional papers and news agencies attended the session. Indian representatives were also present there. We have to, however, keep electronic media out of this debate as it is controlled by the state. Private channels also surrender their news and views programmes to the state. Despite privatization across all sections of enterprise, the government has resisted to let loose of its control in the electronic media.

The working group identified the following general reasons that limit mass media in Pakistan: low reading habits, low circulation of newspapers, illiteracy, insecurity and paranoia among pro-peace
journalists and fears of a state backlash in defence-related issues, a virtual lack of editors' say in determining newspapers policies as against owners' commercial interests and their submission to state
dictation, issues of job security, lack of professional training, and immediacy of news.

Suggestions:

• Coordination between peace groups and media practitioners.
• Up-gradation of JRC and linkages with other media and advocacy organizations.
• Skills and capacity development of journalists.
• Intervention within the electronic media.
• Trying to end abuse of language by newspapers that they do when referring to Indo-Pak relations.
• Demanding a lifting of the ban upon publications' exchange between India and
• Use of NGOs newsletters and other publications as an alternative media.
• Establishing an information resource centre with website linkages between Indo-Pak peace groups.
• Establishing an Indo-Pak journalists forum.
• Monitoring mis-representations that occur in Indian and Pakistani media.
• Exchange of information and publications between South Asian Countries.
• Translation of peace films into regional languages.
• Recording memories about Partition.
• Writing Letters to editors wherever needed.
• Strengthening press trade unionism.
• Integration of pro-people politics with media.
• Motivating owners/editors of newspapers.
• Peace be seen with a holistic perspective.
• Initiate public hearing and public awareness campaigns.
• Use of local newspapers.
• Exchange of photo exhibitions between India and
• Demanding visa relaxation for Indo-Pak journalists.
• Initiatives should be based on the interests of the people of South Asia