Ahsan stresses urgent need for media literacy charter

ISLAMABAD, Jul 11 (APP): Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Friday emphasized the urgent need for a national charter to promote media literacy across Pakistan.
Speaking at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Framework Policy Dialogue held at the National Language Promotion Department, the minister highlighted the growing challenge of misinformation in the digital era.
He described news verification as “the biggest challenge of our time. He announced that the government is actively working on a national charter to promote media literacy across Pakistan.
The event was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with Punjab University and the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) University.
The greatest threat to democracy today is the fusion of technology and information, he said adding that if the presidential elections in a democracy like the United States can fall victim to fake information, it should serve as a wake-up call for us.
He described fake news as a new-age weapon in digital warfare, stressing that “for every country, media and information literacy must be the first line of defense.”
The minister called on media organizations to unite and appoint an independent ombudsman to ensure accountability and deter the broadcast of irresponsible content. “There should be strict accountability for those spreading false or harmful information,” he asserted.
Iqbal also urged academic institutions to modernize their teaching methods and focus on cultivating critical thinking among students. “I tell every Vice Chancellor: make media literacy a core component of every university program so our youth can learn to distinguish between truth and lies.”
Sharing a personal account, Ahsan Iqbal revealed how in 2018, two political parties launched a hate campaign against him on social media.
A young man, radicalized through online hate, pulled the trigger and a bullet of hatred entered my body,” he said. Those who use social media to spread hatred freely must be held to exemplary justice.”
The forum emphasized the urgency of building societal resilience against misinformation and strengthening democratic values through informed media consumption and critical education.