HYDERABAD, May 12: A two-day “Interactive Dialogue on Development Communication” was inaugurated at the Sindh Development Study Centre, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on Monday.

The dialogue has been organized by the Centre for Rural Development of the university.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui said 70 per cent of the country population was living in pathetic condition in rural areas.

In her speech on “Structure of Communication in Pakistan”, Dr Tasneem Zafar, regretted that organizations which were responsible for disseminating information on different issues seldom made the information available to people.

She said even the media was not informed about development schemes being carried out in different areas. Consequently, the people could not participate in development projects and the desired results could also not be achieved.

She said there was no continuity in government policies.

The former chairman, mass communication department, Punjab University, Dr Miskeen Hijazi, said the communication system of the country was functioning upside down.

He said development projects were always left incomplete and government policies also were not consistent. This was the reason that the people remained deprived even of basic facilities, he added.

The others who spoke on the occasion included Human Rights Commission of Pakistan vice-chairman Ali Hassan, forest secretary Shamsul Haq Memon and Dr Qalandar Shah Lakhyari.