Daily Times

My motivation to contribute this discourse stems from a news report published a few days ago, in a national daily regarding Prime Minister’s visit to Davos and the negation of its contents by the spokesman of the World Economic Forum. The story claimed that the Prime Minister was not allowed to address the forum due to his alleged involvement in massive corruption; he could not hold any meetings with heads of other countries except the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and that he had gone to Davos without any invitation from the sponsors of the forum.

Mr. Yann Zhof, head of Media Operations and Events of the World Economic Forum, taking immediate notice of the report in a letter written to the reporter and also released to the media contradicted the story by saying, “The Forum was delighted that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan participated in the annual meeting 2017 in Davos-Klosters from 17-20 January.The World Economic Forum had invited the Prime Minister, and his agenda was prepared in consultation with his office, keeping in mind their objectives and key priorities. This included several meetings with key leaders from business and politics.”

The letter clearly established the fact that the forum did not only invite the Prime Minister but it also arranged his meetings with business and political leaders of the world which were mutually agreed by the two sides. The Prime Minister, like many other leaders invited to the forum, was actually not scheduled to address the forum at all. So, the question of preventing him from addressing the forum due to allegations of massive corruption did not arise at all. The reporter at least should have known the diplomatic norms concerning such high-profile visits. It is invariably pre-arrangedon the basis of the agreed agenda. The Prime Minister did not meet only the Sri Lankan Prime Minister but also had interaction with the Swiss President, Prime Minister of Sweden, Secretary General of the UN, President of the World Economic Forum and a number of business magnates and executives of the financial institutions. The electronic and print media in Pakistan had extensively reported on the deliberations of all these meetings. A number of editorials in the newspapers also termed Prime Minister’s participation in the World Economic Forum as fruitful on two counts. It afforded an opportunity to the Prime Minister to sell economic credentials of the country and its status as an emerging investment destination as well as to sensitise the world leaders including the UN Secretary General about the human rights situation in Kashmir and the need for resolution of the festering issue of Kashmir.

Perhaps a brief recap of what transpired in Prime Minister’s interaction with the leaders that he met would not be out of place here. The President of the World Economic Forum while talking to the Prime Minister reportedly acknowledged that international investors were looking at Pakistan with a large optimism due to the progress achieved in the domain of infrastructure development which has put Pakistan in a position to lead the regional connectivity with Central Asia. He attributed the increased interest of global business groups in Pakistan to the improved security and energy situation in Pakistan.

The Swiss President talking to the Prime Minister said that despite the challenges faced by Pakistan, her government was happy to see fast economic progress made by the country due to the economic roadmap being pursued by the government to promote stability in the country as well as in the region. She expressed Swiss interest in working on Hydro projects in Pakistan. The Prime Minister apprised her about the human rights situation in Kashmir and Pakistan’s efforts for peace in Afghanistan as well as issues related to hosting millions of Afghan refugees.

The Prime Minister of Sweden whom Nawaz Sharif briefed on Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir, reportedly shared Pakistan’s concerns regarding the situation obtaining in the valley. In the parleys with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif shared his views on seeing SAARC as a vibrant regional entity and adherence to its objectives, emphasising that it could not be replaced by the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation. He also had meetings with Chief Executives of Business and Investment groups who invariably expressed their confidence in the economic environment in Pakistan and their willingness to make an investment in different sectors of the economy.

His meeting with the UN Secretary-General was very significant in view of the security situation in the region and the Indian machinations in occupied Kashmir. The Prime Minister exhaustively elaborated on the situation in Kashmir, Indian attempts to fuel instability in the region by adopting ‘no talks’ posture and urged the UN Secretary General to fulfil UN obligations towards the people of the occupied Kashmir. The UN Secretary General assured the Prime Minister of playing a very constructive and positive role for countries in South Asia.

Evidently, the participation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the World Economic Forum moot and his meetings with the world leaders on the sidelines of World Economic Forum, have not only led to economic gains but also political and diplomatic gains which were utmost necessary to neutralize the Indian propaganda against Pakistan and to invite the attention of the world leaders to the inhuman actions of India to subdue the freedom struggle in Kashmir.

It is really astonishing as to how the reporter missed all these developments and indulged in misreporting regarding Prime Minister’s engagements at Davos and also to make the highly embarrassing claim of his sojourn to Davos without an invitation from the Forum. That constitutes an act of highest irresponsibility, to say the least. Media in its capacity as the fourth pillar of the state owes it to the society to play its internationally recognised role to inform, educate and entertain in an honest and responsible manner. The Social Responsibility Theory propounded by the Hutchison commission in 1947 which is regarded as MagnaCarte in regards to freedom of expression and media’s responsibilities towards the society, emphasised the need for media to provide accurate, truthful and comprehensive accounts of events. Dr Robert Maynard Hutchison, Vice Chancellor of Chicago University, who headed the commission remarked, “freedom comes with responsibility.” All professional and ethical codes drawn up by representative bodies of the media around the globe invariably lay stress on truthful account of the events by the reporters. News reporting is a very sanctimonious assignment and those entrusted to perform this role need to be more discreet and honest about what they report keeping in mind its implications.

The writer is a retired diplomat, a freelance columnist, and a member of the visiting faculty of the Riphah Institute of Media Sciences, Riphah International University Islamabad. He can be reached at ashpak10@gmail.com