By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Faisal Karim Kundi Wednesday said the live coverage of the Lower House proceedings and some NA Standing Committees will start soon.
“We are getting required equipment from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and will start live coverage soon after the installation of these gadgets,” he said while speaking at Training Session for Media Professionals on Reporting Parliamentary proceedings held here.
He, however, said that Pakistan Television will start covering the “Question Hour” from today.
Faisal Karim said the conditions at Press Gallery are being improved, adding the website of the House is updated regularly for the use of media persons and now even voters can visit this website and check performance of their representatives.
About parliamentary calendar, he said the Prime Minister has accorded its approval and soon it will be available for the use of professionals.
The Deputy Speaker also asked the parliamentarians to come to the House with preparations and take part in the proceedings with full interest.
He said that democracy and media have strong linkage and they are source of strength for each other.
In democracy, Parliament is the centre of popular will and people’s power is exercised through it, he added.
Faisal Karim said the Parliament remains a closed book to the people unless media reports its doings to the people and the outside world.
In all democracies media has played a central role in explaining the work of parliament and putting spotlight on legislators.
In Pakistan, he said that unfortunately, democracy has had an interrupted history. Consequently, media had also suffered in acquiring the forensic skills of parliamentary reporting because of parliament being suspended for longer periods of time.
The Deputy Speaker said media is growing assertive in recent years and resultantly the expertise of media in covering various areas is also expanding.
Since the February election, the democratic aspirations of the people are all time high. Against this backdrop, the media has important role to play in highlighting and analyzing the work of the parliament.
It is important therefore that the journalists should equip themselves with best practices in parliamentary reporting. In this regard the role of more training events of this nature is important.
He also expected a code of conduct to emerge from this workshop and subsequent sessions, which proposes mutually agreed standards of parliamentary reporting.
“I am mindful of the difficulties our media professionals face in living up to the high standards of parliamentary reporting,” he added.
Faisal Karim said his first act as a Deputy Speaker was to visit the Press Gallery along with Madam Speaker and do what ever is needed to improve the working conditions.
He promised that this process of involvement in improving working conditions for the journalists will continue with redoubled efforts.
National Project Manager SDPD-UNDP, Marvi Sirmed threw light on the motive of this workshop and assured that UNDP will continue to support this vital work through supporting Democracy through Parliamentary development Project (SDPA).