Daily Times

The appointments of Senator Shibli Faraz as information minister and Lt-General (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa as special assistant to the prime minister on information are welcome developments. Also, Prime Minister Press Secretory Shahera Shahid, a grade 21 officer of information group, has been appointed the principal information officer. Though highly important at all times, the information portfolio assumes special significance in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, as the government must communicate regularly with citizens and disseminate critical and urgent information.

Media content and policies can be influenced, rather exploited, by powerful groups, organizations and states. However, there are legal limits to media’s freedom for protecting the public from any offensive or potentially harmful effects of the media (press, radio, television and even internet), and to safeguard people from being unfairly treated. Monopolies and concentration of ownership of the mass media might be of some concern in a democracy. External aspect of media’s public relations and policy development is as important as the domestic side and its themes and policies.

For most of us, the mass media is our only source of evidence, and it colors, shapes and even constructs our worldview. Most people think and act in particular ways because of the opinions they hold and the knowledge they have. However, does the mass media inform us about everything, or does it ‘filter’ information, obscuring the truth and giving false, distorted or exaggerated impression of what is happening in the world? On the question of ethics, the value of a most popular TV program/talk show may be questioned in spite of its educational and entertaining segments.

In recent years, the whole world has understood India’s hate and prejudice and warmongering

Our own media has to help restore people’s self-confidence and their trust in the ability of the nation to protect its strategic assets and sovereignty. Our own media has to contribute to the important task of public relation to build a positive image, to protect and promote Pakistan’s national interest and reject the world’s nuclear fears. Statements from high civil and military officials of Pakistan have, from time to time, rejected the world’s nuclear fears. Such statements have recently clarified Pakistan’s human rights stand and forced world opinion against Indian human rights violations in Kashmir, and prime minister’s stance on anti-Muslim policies in India.

The world fully understands India’s cross border firing and killing of innocent Pakistanis across the Line of Control. This is happening every other day. Pakistan is keeping its patience for the sake of peace and security in the region. India is bent upon terrorism, extremism and blame game. Anything negative happening in India is regularly blamed on Pakistan. Our government agencies have dismissed Indian falsification and state terrorism as a policy to harass its neighbors. From dayone, Pakistan has been in a situation of never ending confrontation because of a bad neighbor. We only wish we had a choice of a well behaved neighbor. In more than 70 years, India has not understood the need to accommodate minorities, particularly Muslims in that country.

In recent years, the whole world has understood India’s hate and prejudice and warmongering. Pakistan’s most cherished goal is to strive for establishing peace in the region and the world. The country needs ambitious leadership to take stock of its strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities and challenges. The country has to compete for the future, and work hard to build and strengthen institutions through meaningful reforms. The country has to get rid of corruption, incapacity and ineffectiveness. Pakistan seeks equality, equity and justice for all its people.

Regarding re-doing the 18th Amendment or changing the amendment, the implication is to do the necessary homework that was ignored in haste. Haste makes waste. We have to acknowledge our needs. Needs based approach can lead to effective policy and workable plans, especially in the domain of health, education and power sharing. There is need for clarity about devolution, delegation and decentralization. Provinces will have to be empowered if there is need for such a measure. What is to be rolled back has to be carefully considered, what capacity and capabilities are available at what level of the hierarchy? Devolution has to work. Therefore, the need indeed is for all concerned to find ways and means to know what serves our people the best, especially in health and education.

“Constitution is a living document; it must adapt to our needs.” The correct approach would be to keep what works. Institutional capacity building comes next. Federal government and provinces will have to provide the needed in-parts and the way forward.

Adapting to new realities means strengthening the federation and striving for increasingly more effective coordination with the federating units. All territories within the federation have to play their due constitutional role. Local governments have to be instituted and made effective as spring-boards of democracy and real authority vested in the people at the grass-roots. Provincial autonomy becomes meaningful only if local government is allowed to work. Dynamic local government institutions can help bring satisfaction to the people and a sense of service to the grass-root communities. There should be clarity between governance at various tiers of the hierarchy of authority. To meet internal and external challenges effectively, all tiers of government need to be on the same page.

The context and spirit of public policy aimed at common welfare have to be adhered to strictly to facilitate citizens engaged in improving the state of the economy, which is currently in crisis and handling multiple internal and external problems. Initiatives in this context by the government, especially by the prime minister and his cabinet members, are more than welcome.Everybody is innocent until proved guilty. The due process of law is a must to follow. Accountability and transparency are much-needed, but the due process of law is the basic condition to satisfy.

Public policy refers to the principle under which acts of individuals are restricted when they have a tendency injurious to the common welfare. (Any government policy) social legislation refers to laws designed to improve the living standards of persons who are unable to better themselves because of physical handicaps, poverty, or lack of economic or political opportunity. Such laws may relate to social insurance, public welfare activities, the protection of workers and consumers, minority rights, land tenure, indebtedness, education, and dependency. Social legislation may be enacted under the police power or the states or the taxation, commerce and other powers of the national government. Social science is any organized body of knowledge which deals with man’s environment, history, and political, economic or other social institutions; such bodies of knowledge of individuals united by common interests who possess a sense of corporate unity and discipline and an organization to promote common aims provide input that results into a healthy and prosperous, onward-looking, strong society. A healthy society is the foundation of a strong polity and healthy politics.

A scientific study of social behaviour and human groups focuses on social relationships – how those relationships influence people’s behaviour and how societies- the total of those relationships-develop and change. A key element in the sociological imagination is the ability to view one’s society as an outsider would, rather than only from the perspective of personal experiences and cultural biases. Such an approach allows understanding broader public issues; understand other populations in the world, and think why other people think differently and behave differently. In short, we need to look at things and issues objectively. We need to know what others think of us.

Public policy reflections and linkages have implications in terms of issues based on group behaviours involving threats and tensions and disastrous consequences as well as good news and moments to share and enjoy. What its suggests is the need to focus on social policy and culture (sociology in the global community), socialization, social structure, social inequality, mass media, social control, stratification, global inequality: universal human rights; racial and ethnic inequality; gender stratification; the family; religion; education; the government; the economy; health, communities seeking shelter worldwide; population; social movements and social change, etc.

Pakistan’s strength lies in territorial sovereignty and independence. Internal unity is our strength and symbol of state authority. A strong foreign policy indicates a positive image of Pakistan. It helps to convert challenges into opportunities and weaknesses into strengths.

National integration is of vital significance for securing national and public interests. For effective decision-making, Pakistan has to think of varied perspectives, need for strengthening the federation, and giving due importance to “reconciliation policy” in decision-making, particularly, in internal and external relations.

Negotiating skills are very important. Especially, when approaching trouble-makers and negotiating and dealing with authorities at different levels of administration and decision-making hierarchy.

Understanding the rule of the situation is important. Is the use of force helpful? It depends on the situation. Experience shows the use of force is often counter-productive.

However, force is needed where things get out of control and are unmanageable. The writ of the state has to be established, justice served, and the trouble-makers have to be brought to book.

Strategies have to be adopted and adapted to ensure the safety and security of a territory and the public interest. Most important is to keep people informed and take all stakeholders in confidence. Informal communication is often more quick and handy to produce desired results.

Bringing about reforms in institutions and various sectors of the economy is a complex task requiring time, energy and patience, in addition to many other inputs. Reforms initiatives have to come from political leaders in the government with cooperation and support of the opposition.

The writer is former director of National Institute of Public Administration, a political analyst, a public policy expert, and a published author