KARACHI, Jan 31: The media is a bridge between the government and the masses, and has an edge over all other means of improving the image of the country and the nation.

This was stated by Sindh (caretaker) Minister for Information Dewan Mohammad Yousuf Farooqui while speaking as chief guest at a workshop on “Parliament and Media: Securing Effective Relationship” held at the Sindh Assembly building here on Thursday.

The workshop was organised by the Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services under the USAID-Pakistan Legislative Strengthening Project.

The minister also distributed certificates among participants of the workshop and senior staff of the assembly on the successful completion of their IT training. He observed that IT knowledge had become vital to compete in the global environment amid fast changing developments.

He referred to the government’s free media policy that has led to the emergence of more than 100 private TV channels in the country, and observed that the media always played an important role in boosting a country’s image abroad.

He stressed that the media in Pakistan should also play a positive role in this regard as it did in many other countries, including a neighbouring state.

He expressed his gratitude to the USAID for supporting and sponsoring the workshop and organising the IT training programme for senior assembly staff and hoped that it would hold more such programmes.

Christopher Shield, deputy chief of the project, speaking in the morning session said a vibrant and healthy media could help bring people and parliamentarians closer.

He also urged journalists and other media people to use words with extreme care while reporting an event as a mistake or a slip of the tongue could be misinterpreted and land one in trouble.

Sindh Assembly Secretary Hadi Bux Burirro explained the Rules of Procedure to the participants of the workshop, and said: “these are the axis around which entire house proceedings are held.”

Zaigham Khan, facilitator of the workshop, highlighted the role of parliamentary journalists in a democratic system, and said the media’s main function was holding the government accountable and ensure transparency.

He also identified various constraints and pressures generally faced by journalists some of them being lack of adequate resources, security risks and deadline.

Huma Ikramullah, provincial coordinator of the programme, said that immediately after the elections, the new legislators would be apprised of the business of the elected house and role of parliamentarians under the project.

The workshop, which was attended by 27 editors and reporters of leading media organisations, also discussed the accurate and effective coverage of assembly proceedings.

The successful participants of the four-month distance IT learning course: “Legislative drafting for social change” introduced by the International Consortium for Law and Development, Boston University, were also awarded certificates.