Renowned journalists and senior analysts at a seminar stressed the need of impartial role of media in general elections. They were addressing a seminar organised by the Punjab University Institute of Communication Studies at Hameed Nizami Auditorium on Tuesday. PU Vice Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed presided over the seminar while senior analysts including Dr Mujahid Mansoori, Salman Ghani, Mian Habib, Salman Abid, renowned anchor Usama Ghazi, PU Incharge Dr Nosheena Salim, Lahore Press Club President Azam Chaudhry, faculty members and students were present on the occasion. Addressing the seminar, PU VC Professor Niaz Ahmed said that a lot of investment and division had been witnessed in Pakistani media in the recent past. He said that today’s Pakistan was much stronger than 2005 Pakistan and “our media must highlight positive achievements of the country”. He said that “our media students had a very important role to play in providing information and guiding the nation in future. Our senior journalists and academics must train our students for this purpose. Institutions of higher learning must provide opportunities to students to think critically and discuss matters in an independent environment”. Renowned academic and senior analyst Dr Mujahid Mansoori said that Pakistani media was becoming aggressive, powerful and uncontrolled day-by-day and it was setting the direction of governance. He said that media’s power should be regulated under the Constitution of Pakistan. However, he said, one of the media’s important contributions towards the country was awareness regarding accountability. He said that media had also audited the role of politicians and institutions. He advised students to study the Constitution as rising journalists must have sound knowledge of the Constitution and law. He said that youth had a very important role to implement merit and select true leadership. Senior analyst Salman Ghani said we had no liberty to tell all of the truth on media. “We were only able to tell half the truth. The youth have a significant role in upcoming general elections and they should vote without any pressure,” he said, adding that unfortunately, our leadership was busy in maligning each other using the media. He said that our media must focus on the issues of Balochistan because when “Balochistan burnt, Pakistan burnt”. Analyst Salman Abid said social media was playing a more important role in the 2018 elections as compared to the national media, which has become a corporate media and safeguarding the interest of one party or the other. He said the real challenge was how the new government would tackle the fast increasing growing economic, security and other issues faced by the country. Senior journalist Mian Habibullah said that people must elect honest and able leadership in the elections and the youth’s vote was very important. He said smartphones and technology was actively being used in the election. The nation needs to remind these politicians post election results, of the promise they made during their campaigning. Renowned anchorperson Usama Ghazi said private media was a commercial media and paid content was important to meet its expenses. He said earlier, in the absence of electronic media and social media, the candidates and parties used to exploit voters on the basis of language, caste, creed basis, however, now media had strengthened the element of nationalism. LPC President Azam Chaudhry said media was playing a pivotal role for strengthening democracy in the country as it was working as a watchdog to monitor the role of those institutions which are conducting the election. Published in Daily Times, July 18th 2018.