'Police Media Sath Sath': Speakers say police should be accountable to community

LAHORE: Out of the box solutions are required for police reforms and media can play a pivotal role as a potential mediator between various stakeholders participants, at a Webinar titled "Police Media Sath Sath" said here in the city.

The representation from top media outlets of Lahore covering important stakeholders in the reform process, i.e. provincial assembly, high Court, and police, attended this 11th in the series of webinars being held across the country by Communications Research Strategies (CRS).

Participants stressed that the Police should be accountable to the community instead of being influenced by the political expediencies. Trust building between the police and community can only be possible if police as a whole changes its culture and reforms are introduced backed by political will, they argued.

Media can definitely play a role being highlighting the need for such reforms and engaging stakeholders in a more meaningful process of consultation and dialogue. Media participants also recognized that they are too focused on the coverage of politics and least on day-to-day issues of the people.

Aniq Zafar, Chief Executive Officer of CRS steering this webinar series as part of the 'Police Awam Saath Saath" the broader initiative advocating for police reforms said that creating an efficient network of journalists, academicians, social media influencers, lawyers and civil society was imperative for such a reform agenda to succeed.

Zafarullah Khan a prominent civic education expert moderated the session and encouraged the participants to participate in an award competition launched to encourage media talk on police reforms. The competition has been launched across Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020