KARACHI, June 15: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said on Thursday that electronic media can play a significant role in sustaining ongoing peace process between Pakistan and India besides strengthening democracy.

Speaking at a three-day workshop on South-Asian Electronic Media Association, organized by the South-Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) at a hotel, he said a greater responsibility lies on media to strengthen relations and build peace at this point of time when things are moving in the right direction as desired by the leadership of both the countries.

Delegates from across the South Asian countries were present to participate in the workshop the objective of which is to deliberate on ways and means to promote free and impartial journalism acro#ss the globe.

Dr Ibad said the government is focusing on strengthening economy and taking benefits down to the grass-roots level and for this, maintenance of peaceful environment is the key and which, he said, could be created through a right role of the media.

The ''strong media'' in Pakistan demonstrates there is ''true and strong democracy'' in the country as a result of policies of the present government, noted the governor.

However, media should remain ''impartial and unbiased'', he observed.

Dr Ishratul Ebad said media in Pakistan has been allowed to operate freely, debate and criticize various issues.

He emphasized that conflict reporting should be done with responsibility by media which plays an important role in moulding public opinion.

Dr Ibad said Pakistani leadership, including President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and MQM founder Altaf Hussain had always stressed peace, removing backwardness of people, confronting extremism, focus on poverty alleviation and providing benefits of economic growth to masses.

Earlier, SAFMA President K K Katyal, Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and workshop coordinator Babar Ayaz spoke, while Indian documentary director Anand Patwardhan in his keynote address dwelt on sharing common professional ethics and density.—PPI