SC bar conference: Media played vital role against Musharraf, says judge

Justice Jillani says honest media fosters democracy, culture of accountability.

LAHORE:

The media played a vital role in motivating civil society both within and outside Pakistan to protest against the suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry by General Pervez Musharraf, “one of the gravest acts ever committed against the judiciary with impunity”, said Justice Tasadduq Hussain Jillani on Saturday.

The Supreme Court judge was speaking at the second day of a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association. The topic for the day was ‘Justice and impunity – Its portrayal by the media’.

Justice Jillani said the media had an important role in resisting impunity, holding governments accountable and in keeping the public informed about the actions of officials and institutions and the rights and duties of citizens.

He said honest and courageous reporting buttressed democracy and encouraged a culture of accountability. Media investigations into corruption, human rights violations and other acts of omission and commission by the government had toppled many cruel and corrupt rulers, he added.

The judge said that when the media faltered in its duty, it made it easier for government to violate human rights. He said that in today’s globalised world, in the wake of 9/11 and the rhetoric of the so-called clash of civilisations, the media’s role had assumed an added dimension. “The media has a role to play in identifying conflicts, initiating dialogue, and involving groups through unbiased coverage and well balanced analysis,” he said.

An example of such an initiative to promote peace, he said, was the ‘Amn ki Asha’ project of the Times of India and Jang Group from Pakistan. Justice Jillani said that if Europe could live in peace and even unite to form the European Union after two of the bloodiest wars in history, Pakistan and India should be able to resolve their differences and devote their resources to socio-economic uplift rather than defence.

He said the challenge ahead for the media was to establish a global citizenry and leadership driven by a vision “to combat impunity in all its forms, to promote peace and transparency and to resist abuses of human rights with a view to strengthening the dispensation of justice at the domestic level and the emerging patterns of international justice.”

Television journalists Hamid Mir and Absar Alam and columnist Ayaz Amir also spoke on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2011.