RAWALPINDI, Sept 4: Former Federal Minister for Information Javed Jabbar said the performance of the print and electronic media, as well as the social media, was not up to the mark.

He stated this while speaking at a roundtable discussion arranged by Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in collaboration with the NGO Fridrich Ebert Stiftung and the Citizen Initiates on Media Issues.

The purpose of the discussion was to review the recommendations of the Media Commission appointed by the Supreme Court (SC).

“Although the commission has prepared its detailed recommendations, the report will be finalised after consultation with senior mediapersons and representatives of important segment of the life,” he said.

Mr Jabbar said the judiciary and media were two important sections of democracy, and the SC had set up the media commission to fix the responsibilities of the media.

The commission also analysed the relation between media and democracy during elections, he added.

Mr Jabbar said the commission had also organised roundtable conferences with media persons and academicians in different cities so that their recommendations could be incorporated in the commission’s report.

He said more Pakistanis were using the internet and there was a dire need to make the social media more responsible.

A regulatory body must be formed to monitor the social media, he proposed.

During the function, Javed Jabbar said students and faculty members of FJWU, and the representatives of the Allama Iqbal Open University and the Ripha University gave recommendations to the media commission.

“It is not final as the recommendations of senior mediapersons and intellectuals will also be incorporated before giving the report a final shape,” he said.

Earlier, Dr Shamim Zaidi, Chairperson Communication and Media Studies, welcomed the guests and gave a brief introduction of FJWU and its departments.