KARACHI, Oct 2: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Senator Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli has stressed the need for a change in attitudes so that polarization in society can be contained.

“We must demonstrate tolerance, which is beauty of democracy,” she remarked while speaking as chief guest at a function held here on Sunday on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Karachi edition of daily Nawa-i-Waqt.

She observed: “Media, both print and electronic, enjoys freedom of expression today more than ever before while the government is open to criticism.”

However, she said, despite press freedom to such an extent, perfection was yet to be achieved as ours was not an ideal society. “There is an element of yellow journalism which has to be checked and for this purpose, a press council comprising representatives from the government, APNS, CPNE, working journalists and citizens is being formed.”

The council would work out a code of conduct acceptable to all stakeholders, she said, adding that this would be a major step towards having a responsive journalism.

Ms Tahirkheli criticized bids to make ideology of Pakistan controversial, and paid tributes to the late Hameed Nizami, founder editor of Nawa-i-Waqt, saying that he and his newspaper had played a crucial role during the Pakistan Movement and also after the Partition, they contributed greatly towards strengthening the country’s foundation.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Arif Nizami, Editor of The Nation and President of the CPNE, renewed the pledge that Nawa-i-Waqt would continue to pursue its policy of safeguarding the ideology of Pakistan.

He observed that unlike the administration, parliament and judiciary of this country, the press had escaped criticism by speakers. He attributed the greater press freedom in the present time to evolution.

Former Senator Manzoor Gichki said that since the 9/11 even, Pakistan got many opportunities to put itself on the road to progress. However, he claimed, it lost all of them and was now standing on a crossroad where a slightest mistake could expose it to a threat to its very existence.

He urged media to play its due role in helping the country maintain the freedom and democracy.

Among others who spoke on the occasion were JI leader Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, former city nazim Niamatullah Khan, former Sindh governor Mamnoon Hussain, KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza, Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui Adviser Salahuddin Haider, S.H. Hashmi, Sindh Secretary Culture Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and Sajjad Mir.