1. Context

Seldom do journalistic organisations dare to initiate events in a country where extremism has become the order of the day. Though a journalistic programme is highly risky, it is very important to dare holding such noble ventures in view of the welfare not only of the people living in the country but also for the dignity of humanity at large.

The formation sessions brought together journalists and other intellectuals and activists from various sectors of peoples in Pakistan, South Asia and other parts of the world. The programme was highly solicited from all over the world, and at the same time had to be kept away from wider publicity for obvious reasons of safety and effectiveness. It was also important to assure the speakers that their audience can listen, analyse and judge for the welfare of all rather than react blindly.

And all the ingredients have to be set well in advance in spite of all the odds so that the event can have its expected results: getting to know the realities of Pakistan from those who love to see peoples of Pakistan grow, enable all those who are concerned so that concrete initiatives are taken on all levels, sustain all efforts for making information available from all areas, and take urgent actions when and wherever necessary.

The participants and speakers were committed to the ideals of the programme and they explored the theme through lively sessions on various issues and in various places. The event joined hands with the social and human rights activists as well as with those who have been struggling for numerous noble causes, such as the protection of women, children, the weak and the natural world as well as anti-militarization, fundamental freedoms, and the dignity of individuals and institutions. Together, they addressed the most important issues through various public gatherings.

This report brings you a summary of the findings, observations, plans and hopes for the coming years.

2. Theme and Keynote Speakers

The theme “Journalism beyond frontiers: overcoming controls, disparities, injustices and domination” was chosen in order to accommodate the most pressing issues. Keynote speakers were exceptionally frank and open, daring and friendly. The participants had the privilege and honour of listening to highly qualified experts: Dr Shafiq Jullandhry of the University of Punjab; former fighter pilot and now professor, Cecil Chaudhry; Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha of Lahore; High Court advocate Dr Khalil Tahir; Dr. Bonnie Mendes of the Human Development Centre; human rights activist Asma Jehangir, Amir (Head) of the Ahmadiyya community at Lahore Chudery Hameed Nasrullah; historian and analyst Dr Mehdi Hassan; community peace activist Samson Dilawar; education expert Tasneem Tassadaq; and Senator from Belochistan Sana Bloch.

3. Summary of Findings

There was a general understanding during the programme that the world should know what is happening inside the nation of Pakistan. Unfortunately, news sometimes fabricated about terrorism and extremism blankets out the really serious issues that need greater attention. Meanwhile, puppet politicians are under the control of powerful forces outside the country. Some keynote speakers strongly made the point that Pakistanis have become slaves of slaves.

3.1. Facts and Historical Mile Stones

Pakistan with its 160 million people is the sixth most populated country in the world. Sunni Muslims form 80 percent and thus the majority of the population. More than 15 percent are Shiite Muslims and the rest belong to minorities. More than 80 million live in extreme poverty.

It was the Muslim League together with United Kingdom that divided Bengal into East and West Bengal. In the same way, the United Kingdom and Muslim League created Pakistan dividing northwest Indian states. Pakistan was not founded on the basis of religion, though religion was used to create Pakistan. Later, the whole concept of the nation was shaped from one religious point of view. Like Israel, Pakistan has been shaped by religious dictates and not by social contracts. The president and prime minister have to be Muslims. This is the first and fundamental discrimination.

On 23 March 1956 Pakistan became republic. The constitution was abolished in 1958. A new constitution was drafted in 1962 giving some basic democracy in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan. In 1971, Bangladesh was born amidst bloody conflicts. A new constitution was drafted again in 1973 and the nation became Islamic Republic of Pakistan under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In 1984 Ahmadiyya Muslims were considered non-Muslims by law.

As Islamisation progressed, there was no room for free thinking, social rules, conventions and agenda. In March 1949, the parliament had passed a preamble to the constitution, in which everything has to be thought and accomplished only in terms of Islam. The worst Pakistani dictator was General Zia ul Haq (1977-1988) made this resolution part of the constitution after removing the word “freely”. He did this under martial law without the approval of the parliament.

Through the 8th constitutional amendment, General Zia ul Haq made everything he did legal and it was no more possible to challenge him in any court. And at present, Pakistan is struck with these laws and amendments.

General Zia ul Haq introduced religion-based separate electorates in 1979 and Blasphemy law and Khadiyani ordinance against Ahmadiyya Muslims in 1984 It favoured only extremists, not even ordinary Muslims. After 25 years of struggle, the separate electorate was abolished in 1994. But the indoctrination, disenfranchising and the denial of a vote damaged the psyche of the nation.

All these led to Pakistan where it is today.

3. 2. Frontline State for Opportunists, Militarisation

Speaking in terms of religion, Pakistan was used by extremist leaders inside and outside Pakistan to establish an Islamic State.

In political terms, Militarisation is the major enemy of the innocent. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and its super power members used Pakistan, even when it was not ethical or just, to form a military ring in the form of the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) around the former Soviet Union. CENTO members included Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.; puppet kings were installed in Syria and Iraq.

This helped extremists to promote fundamentalism under the pretext of common theism together with Christian superpowers against the communist and allegedly atheistic Soviet Union. It was all “beautifully” interpreted as joining of theist forces against atheists.

This theist alliance helped Pakistan to qualify in spite of some of the worst human right records on earth for the Military Aid Programme (MAP) and the country began to become heavily militarised with the support of the US. This led to all types of weapons getting into the hands of Islamic extremist groups.

There are three major periods when Pakistan emerged and re-emerged as a frontline military state: (a) during the expansion of the Soviet Union, (b) during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and (c) the war against the Taliban, the war in Iraq, and the continuing search for the so-called Bin Laden.

Talibans were totally backed by Pakistan military, as they were Sunnite Muslims, the majority population of Pakistan.

And all these were very much in line with the tradition of the USA together with its allies creating monsters that turn against them: Soviet Union, Saddam Hussein and Ousama Bin Laden are just a few examples.

Like in the past two emergences of Pakistan as frontline state during the expansion of Soviet Union and occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet Union, a sword was hanging over Pakistan on even on 10 September 2001: everything was going against Pakistan. The country was at the verge of being declared as a terrorist state, “Madrasas” were everywhere, people were sent to Kashmir to fight, and nuclear weapons were developed. Mr Bush talked about Pervez Musharaff: who was that guy? And suddenly, 9/11 (attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001) changed the whole scenario. Mr Bush called Mr Musharraff his good friend.

Under the excuse of attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001, Afghanistan and Iraq were attacked in 2001 and 2003 respectively. These attacks are clearly seen in Pakistan as empowering Israel in its military might, bringing business and money to the USA, its allies, to Pakistani dictator Musharaff and his friends, as well as the best opportunity to continue militarisation of Pakistan and the continuation of military dictatorship.

Some of the resource persons and elected parliamentarians and senators affirmed that friends of Musharaff are not friends of Pakistan. People in Pakistan need water, shelter and food and not the present or future US military bases. As the present dictatorship wants to get Pakistan more militarised, all the chief ministers have to behave as agents of the president dictator. If any people try to simply demand their basic rights, they are considered terrorists. According these resource persons, Pakistan has been sold to USA and it is at Washington that the fate of Pakistanis is decided. Resources such as natural gas are stolen especially from the province of Belochistan – people of Belochistan are not paid anything for their own natural resources -- and the continued militarisation will gradually take everything from people and in some areas they are already chased.

The results of extremism and militarisation are illiteracy (more than half of the population is illiterate), falling levels of education, absence of free media (television is the worst enemy of literacy according to some experts), absence of freedoms on all levels and of civil society initiatives, military dictatorships one after another, extreme poverty, an information-starved society, absence of law and order, corruption, communal conflicts, discriminatory laws, violence against women, child labour, concentration of wealth, arms race, and brainwashing.

3.3. Illiteracy and Falling Levels of Education

Probably the biggest problem in the country is the illiteracy. According to some statistics, more than 75percent of the population is illiterate. Experts affirm that one can not trust national or international statistics as they would count any one who can figure out alphabets as literate, though they can not understand the meaning of a phrase or sentence.

Due to heavy Islamisation, illiteracy spread and Pakistan has become a country with few intellectuals. There is no place for intellectuals or intellectual exchanges. As Pakistan has become an Islamic state, Islamic laws are in effect. There is not even the possibility to debate basic human rights, international conventions or laws that would help regain the fundamental freedoms of people. Conversion is a one-way business: people can be converted only to Islam and not from Islam to another religion. There is no possibility for bringing education to the masses. One of the keynote speakers said that they were losing the battle of education and the level of education is going down due to an Islamic agenda, which promotes extremists religious schools known as “madrasas” where children are even kept chained.

In addition, due to imposed and frequent religious practices and popularisation of television, people do not have time or interest to read. One of the keynote speakers affirmed that television is the great enemy of literacy and television has done the most harm, as it is an instrument that can be easily used by extremists, politicians, superpowers and others.

And, in an illiterate world, print media has no place! And those who read or look at newspapers want more photos of scandals, attacks on persons and “juicy” elements. Actually illiteracy has helped electronic media to grow, not in the field of journalism but in the field of extremism, violence, entertainment, sports and others. Television has made people remain dependent forever.

Such environments are fertile soil for despotic rulers and extremist religious leaders to grow up and to bend rules and laws and even the constitution of a nation according to their whims and fancies.

There are very few good schools in Pakistan. There is no good education to analyse and synthesise, but to memorize everything. It is highly important that analysis and synthesis should help form the minds of children between 2 and 6 years so that they can develop rational thinking.

To make matters worse, in spite of the great absence of basic education, students are promoted and they even reach to do even masters in the universities. There they often stage protest walkouts when they do not simply understand things saying they are out of syllabus!! And very often, religious extremists who want to make troubles use these ignorant students to demonstrate and break things.

These are the people who man or woman government offices. Many of these offices are not computerized; they do not generate ample and varied information. It is these type of people a military dictatorship want to see. Pakistan is and will remain for a long time an information poor society. People have no possibility to make a right or wise decision and there is no concept of information economy.

3.4. Blasphemy Law

The worst ruler of Pakistan General Zia Ul Haq brought in without the knowledge of people the notorious Blasphemy law in 1984. Under Blasphemy law any one can be arrested under the pretext that he or she desecrated Islam even in an imaginary way: any one can say that somebody burned Koran, or a page by accident, walked over it, or its pages somewhere in a dirty market. Of the people arrested under this law are 70 percent Muslims and 13 percent Christians. The others are non-recognised Muslims and other minorities. Since the enforcement of this law, attacks against minorities have steadily gone up.

Blasphemy law has helped ignite all extremist religious flavours and zeal, that even the courts can not effectively intervene. If the court has taken a right decision and the extremist are not happy, the judges, the accused, their defendants are murdered outside the court.

The Blasphemy law gave rise to religious intolerance and to breeding ground for fanatics not only within religious circles but also within the police and military. Therefore even the despotic rulers are afraid: if they do not keep in line with the extremists, they can be killed. Under this law, no pictures of prophets such as Abraham and Moses are allowed to be exhibited, printed or distributed even by Christians who have honoured these prophets several centuries before Islam and in spite of the fact that Christianity allows them to reproduce their images.

Blasphemy law has given a shot in the arm to the extremists and the government is forced to guard mosques, churches and temples. Extremists take all the advantage of illiteracy and blasphemy law.

3. 5. Laws and Violence against Women

Violence against women and harassment of girls are on the increase together with the religious chauvinism, extremism and militarisation of the country. Statistics show that every two minutes a woman is raped in Pakistan. The worst of this phenomenon is that rape can be even “legal” according to some interpretations and in some contexts. In some places, women are gang-raped after decision of illiterate members of village councils. One of such cases has become international news bringing some attention to the fate of women in Pakistan and in the Islamic world.

The notorious Hudood ordinance against women presumes that the woman is always guilty and she has to prove that she is innocent. It is impossible or not possible to prove. According to this law, women constitute only half evidence. Under Hudood ordinance, rape victims are in jail because they can not prove rape. Without money they can not have a medical certificate. And even if they find money, because of threats, doctors would not dare to attend or give medical certificate to a rape victim to prove her innocence at court. Besides judges are prejudiced. And male domination is everywhere.

This law practically put women into a prison from their birth. Discriminatory laws like these gave birth to “honour killings” which is practised by chauvinists to cover up their other sexual relationships.

Extremist and discriminatory laws have reduced women to objects and slaves not only in Pakistan but also worldwide.

3.6. Child Labour

Child labour is another method of ensuring illiterate and submissive societies forever. It is on the increase. It is a convenient arrangement not only for extremists, but also for the rich multinationals of the world, who want to keep the major parts of the world poor.

Mostly rich nations, multinationals and their intermediaries employ children. They promote children rights only for their own children. Because of the big importance media give to terrorism, nobody get the news about children in bonded labour for many years.

The children are employed to make footballs -- one out of three footballs in the world and used at soccer tournaments are made by Pakistani children --, carpets and bricks. Some multinationals have attached schools to their factories to respond to human rights claims, but seldom children have the occasion to go there.

3.7. Corruption, Military, Dictatorship, Absence of Law and Order

Pakistan is a country where there are no rules, law and order or security. It is total chaos like in Pakistani roads where there are no traffic rules. The result is the survival of the fittest, such as army leaders and extremists.

It is a nation of dictatorship, corruption and injustice. There is no democracy, no true opposition. It is all popularly known as “Topy Drama” (hat drama, referring to military and business leaders becoming presidents and prime ministers and putting on the hat for the occasion). According to some analysts the whole purpose of Pakistani politics is to keep President Musharaff in his place. And no one free in this country, not even NGOs and human rights organisations. The landlords are partisans of this game. They live luxurious life in highly protected and vast areas. They behave as if they are above all laws.

And the USA and United Kingdom want first of all business and money, they support this type of people. The present Prime Minister of Pakistan is a Citibank employee who still draws salary from the Citibank.

Some years ago corruption was so general that banks, housing societies and co-operatives were all fake. People lost lots of money and the owners and managers of these enterprises are all wandering free and make even more money through cheating and illicit ways.

Those who become leaders or make money in this country are those who make noise or those who can convince illiterate people through tricks. For example, a man, who was selling fake medicines wanted to prove that he was serious. He pulled out his picture from his pocket and shouted: “Look at this picture, this is me and I am genuine!” People bought all the fake medicines from him and he disappeared to another town to make more money.

It is dangerous to touch the army as it has monopolised everything: election, weapons, business and politics. In this context, no one here expect democracy to have the order of the day but upper handedness. And no one here expects or is in position to work assuming that everything would be all right soon!

High courts, supreme courts, religious courts are all corrupt and no one believes that these institutions will help Pakistanis. They are set up to the enjoyment of a few rich and make them richer.

One main reason for not getting aid to the October 2005 earthquake areas is believed to be that fact that they were all Muslim areas and they were not allowing for many years non-Muslims to come and settle there. Besides, with the help of outside forces, most of the money allotted as grants for war against terrorism and support for earthquake victims are in the banks of Europe and USA. Even containers of blankets given to the earthquake victims are sold in the markets.

Those who hold this country in their clutches by military, financial and religious forces can all escape in any eventuality. Their homes, wives and children are all registered abroad in the Middle East, Europe and North America. They use this country as a market place, where only violence, corruption, trick and cheating are the norms. Even the leaders who were democratically elected are all outside the nation and they can not come back to the country under present dictatorship.

In a recent survey more than 95 percent of the people said that politics is cheating and it is a game for rich people. And where will the majority of this people go, if something happens in this country in the name of preventive war against terrorism, increased militarisation by demolishing villages and towns, storing the most sophisticated and dangerous traditional and modern chemical and nuclear weapons?

3.8. Media

There can not be democracy without good mass media or vice versa. Before print media came to existence, knowledge was monopoly of the elite. In Pakistan, we are coming back to this age, as majority of the media are in the hands of a few powerful.

The media in the country are totally restricted, as freedom of expression, freedom to know, and freedom of access to information are not guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan. Newspapers are considered undesirable and dangerous objects such as firearms, alcohol and brothels. All these are in the same category and they have to get a licence as one get licence for firearms.

Like in the renaissance period in Europe, in today’s Pakistan printing can be treason against state as written word spreads knowledge, is easily consultable and can be reproduced by anyone anywhere.

And Pakistan has a tragic history of distorting media and not telling the truth to the people. When media can not reflect the will of the people and the reflect the society as it is, they can not help the advancement of a nation. Media was completely distorted and the needs of the people of Bangladesh were not made known to the public, and all these led to bloody conflicts before the liberation of Bangladesh.

It seems that the same history is being repeated in a different way in the province of Belochistan where the present dictatorship is building military bases with the support of USA.

Electronic media are completely corrupted. There is no journalism at electronic media. Television is purely used for advertising, entertainment, vested agenda and propaganda. Multinationals make media publicity boards and those media, which go for those unethical business make lot of money. And the illiterate are forced to buy televisions and sit and watch it like fools from 8 to 12 hours a day, as they have no agenda of their own.

Islamisation has made media Islamic. The private channels are Islamic. In addition, Islamic groups have influenced even foreign media such as British Broadcasting Co-operation (BBC).

The military and business friendship with the USA and United Kingdom (UK) has destroyed the media in the United States and UK which were silenced or “did not want” to give voice to a well-known gang-rape victim, as this would have hurt the feelings of Pakistani Prime Minister who was visiting the USA.

In these circumstances, some print media are trying their best to make a difference, defying the unjust status quo. They pay a heavy price as their journalists are detained without charge or even killed. Very often their publications and publishing houses are closed down or burned in the name of religion or national security.

In spite of these threats, independent print media and web publications mainly owned by human rights groups, minorities and citizens associations try their best to get the news from Pakistan to the world outside.

3.9. NGOs, Civil Society, Citizen Rights

Like the print media non-governmental organisations (NGOs) made great contributions to the development of the peoples of Pakistan. But many of them are manipulated like the media by religious extremists, superpowers and military.

A manipulated NGO has better possibilities for survival and access to money. This way many NGOs are created here only to get funds from abroad.

There are movements to create NGOs for awareness, rational and critical thinking in a country where people are fooled easily and led to blind emotionalism due to illiteracy and poverty.

The refresher programme was able to join forces to a few selected NGOs who have been trying to expose the brutalities in Pakistan supported by external powers.

3.10. Evils of Islamisation

Pakistan was gradually led to an Islamic state from its very artificial inception by religious extremists and money-hungry United Kingdom and the USA who wanted to sell weapons, fighter planes and ammunitions to two countries instead of one and later on three or more.

Such eternal “divide and rule” policy helped extremists to introduce Islamisation without much effort. Soon they introduced Muslim laws, forced women to stay within four walls, stoning, cutting hands and heads were introduced as punishments for silly mistakes, and minorities began to be eliminated.

Everything was interpreted according to religion and groups like Sunni Wahabi of Saudi Arabia began to shape the destiny of the nation. No liberal thinking was allowed, and initiatives other than Islamic was discriminated with militancy. They helped the formation of Taliban and then Al Qaida. Taliban means students of Islamic religion. Qaida is the first Islamic basic book for schools. Languages and vocabularies were shaped into Islamic mode and meant for conflict, war and killing. And US government supported many of these Talibans and Islamisation policies because they wanted to rally nations against Communist Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan and of course for their own interest.

Under the rigid Islamisation, one has to belong to the Sunni orthodox Islam. Otherwise he or she is discriminated. Discrimination came to schoolbooks and everything became Islamic. First lessons were on Islam. All syllabus, even mathematics became Islamic. Brainwashing was total. Pakistan became a nation with a discriminatory “psyche”.

There is no much place for public forums and other activities of civil society. They try to work in a very hostile and belligerent surroundings.

Under Islamisation and blasphemy law, extremists can get anyone behind bars at any time or executed for any reason and without proof. Terror reign has been established everywhere.

Islam and its mullahs intervened in all sectors of life: social, politics, cultural, business, educational and so on. Everything was seen under the eyes of Islam. Human person has no existence without becoming a Muslim and submitting to the extremist rules.

Islamisation stole the power of the people, abolished democracy, denied reason, and governed social and political institutions such as elections, parliament, judiciary and government. The mother of all evils was the separate electorate system.

It brought law to the hands of barbarians especially in states like Belochistan and North West Frontier Province where mullahs and landlords are the lawmakers.

Under Islamisation, girls are killed under the pretext of honour, and profanity is unpardonable. And it created the most corrupt rulers, the worst of them being Zia Ul Haq.

Islamic laws insisted four adult male witnesses to hear a rape case, even 1000 or more women do not equal to one male voice. If a Muslim rapes a woman, she has to become a Muslim.

If any court rules against the Islamic laws, the lawyers, judges and others are threatened with death. When two Christian boys were acquitted in a Blasphemy case trial as totally innocent, the two judges who ruled the case were murdered.

Qisas and Diyat is an Islamic way of settling cases with money, land or marrying. It favours Muslims and their extremists. There is no argument, rationality or analysis.

Islamisation is meant to keep people caught up in negative atmosphere: fighting against discriminative laws and violations against human rights. There is no time to undertake positive initiatives. Because of this there is a big vacuum for positive leadership in all areas: social, governmental, political, religious and cultural.

3.11. Peace Initiatives

Maintaining peace is not an easy option under these circumstances. The Christian Organisation for Social Action in Pakistan (COSAP) born under the circumstances of islamisation and militarisation found a solution. They invited minorities, human right activists, and men and women of good will to form peace committees on grassroots levels with peoples of all religions.

They initiated pro-active measures on all levels by bringing concrete contributions in the field of elementary education, clean water, sanitation and better living conditions for all irrespective all differences.

This could avoid attacks from extremists and stop, to a great extent, crimes committed against women and allegations against minorities. Where peace committees were not active worship places were burned, peoples were attacked during war in Afghanistan and Iraq in these last years.

When Iraq was invaded peace committees became strong instruments for making social harmony and inter-religious dialogue. They gave new dimensions to inter-religious activities by solving common problems such as drinking water for all.

3.12. Ahmadiyya Muslims

Ahmadiyya Islam was born in 1889. They lived as Muslims since then. They are considered Muslims everywhere in the world. In 1984, the Pakistani dictator General Zia Ul Haq made them non-Muslims by law and ordinance. Together with Blasphemy law and Khadiyani ordinance enforced since 1984, Ahmadiyya Muslims are no more recognised as Muslims. They are arrested for fasting, praying and attari (breaking the fast in the evening) as Muslims. They are not allowed to use words like mosque, masjid, Muslim, salaam and so on. They are accused of impersonation of Islam.

There are some 13’000 cases against Ahmadiyya Muslims pending in Pakistani courts since 1984. The Khadiyani ordinance and its laws are applicable only to Ahmadiyya Muslims. If a non-Muslim join fasting and attari, they are not arrested for violating this law. Under Khadiyani ordinance Ahmadiyya Muslim children can not get admitted in the schools, can not find jobs in government offices or military, or can not vote as Muslims.

Ahmadiyya Muslims and their mosques are attacked by disguised men as they themselves are afraid of attacking Mosques, Islamic writings and symbols. The Khadiyani ordinance and attacks against Ahmadiyya Muslims are themselves blasphemy and violations of fundamental Islamic teachings.

According to legal experts, the Blasphemy law and Khadiyani ordinance are mainly used to attack minorities, to liquidate any one, steal property, rape girls and for political purposes.

4. National Journalists’ Forum

One of the most important outcomes of this Refresher Programme is birth of the National Journalists’ Forum. The Forum is set up with the core group of professional journalists and their partners. Its inspirers and founders believe that in a confused state, it is journalists who have to show the way to the people and they have to go beyond all sectarian traps and interests.

The Forum plans to promote public debates, formation programmes and specialised training together with trustworthy partners inland and abroad. They have already received encouragement and moral support from many individuals and institutions, which care for Pakistan.

5. Feedback

Participants expressed their satisfaction in many ways as they refreshed themselves with open and frank presentations and debates. They said: We have learned more about our country in this programme than living here for several decades. We never imagined that Pakistani are very friendly people and we are very grateful that we could learn from them in a friendly atmosphere. The keynote addresses were brilliant, eye-opening and inspiring and they gave realities beneath propaganda and arrangements. It is highly important to organise such events on South Asian level annually and conduct programmes on specialised problems more frequently.

6. Future Plans and Solutions

The seminar participants from Pakistan and other countries of South Asia have drawn up an action plan to be implemented in their own countries where religious extremism take heavy tolls and lack of basic freedoms are denied.

Together with experts – journalists, lawyers, judges, professors, leaders -- in South Asian countries, they plan to work for better literacy, human rights and quick and easy access of information as the way to success. They know that the United Nations is not effective.

They believe that it is not the religious state but the secular state is the way for advancement. The fact that non-Muslims do not have the right to become president or prime minister of Pakistan itself is a brutal negation of democracy.

There need to be a greater alliance among countries of South Asia: Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Maldives.

What can make an impact on peoples on these issues is the media and it is the press and the print media that play the biggest role in directing the nations to better destiny.

In contexts, where one cannot trust in political, business, military and religious leaders, people look at journalists. Journalists worldwide can be the most powerful allies in bringing liberation to peoples in Pakistan, in South Asia and in the world. Journalist should educate, guide and give hope to people. Journalists are and should be reborn as prophets.