Tag: (IPS)

Islamabad, March 17, 2023 (PPI-OT): An active role of civil society, a citizen-based advertising standards body, and an extensive legal manifestation regarding ethics of advertisement are crucial to bring positive social change and promptly address the challenges of Chutzpadik advertisements. This was highlighted during a discussion on ‘Chutzpadik Advertising Strategies in the Pakistani Media – Impact on Society’ organized by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on March 15, 2023.

The discussion, chaired by Dr Asmat Ara, HoD, Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi, was addressed by Talha Shorwala, brand strategist and media consultant, Kashif H. Siddiqui, CEO, Pulse Consultant, Dr Safdar A. Sohail, former dean, National School of Public Policy, Dr Saima Esma, teacher and trainer in media studies, Syed Abu Ahmed Akif, former federal cabinet secretary, Shahzad Iqbal Sham, senior research fellow, IPS, and Khalid Rahman, chairman IPS.

The medium of mass communication is becoming a potent tool for disseminating progressive agenda through Chutzpadik advertisements. Also, the advertisements are now more linked with showing dreams of fulfilling expectations rather than facts. This trend seems to be increasingly perceivable in the advertising industry of Pakistan affecting the country’s social fabric with the artistic proofs of ethos, pathos, and logos, highlighted Talha.

These media strategies facilitate the social effects of novel advertising discourse by appealing to the credibility, reason, and emotions of society. While it does affect the individual and collective behaviour of society, smartly crafted campaigns can have positive impacts as well. In the context of Pakistani media, as there is the mind-set of brand custodians and creative agencies behind any advertising or brand campaign, they are mostly unaware of the social norms and nonchalant about its impact on society, stated Kashif Siddiqui.

The intense polarization on sensitive topics, inconsistent values of MNCs, and their indifference to cultural values are also issues prevalent in the media industry of Pakistan, observed Saima Esma. In order to promptly address these issues, she argued for an extensive legal manifestation regarding the advertisement ethics. Moreover, these ethics must not solely be focused on standardization. Instead, there must also be adaptability and adjustment of scientific advancements. Safdar Sohail stated that advertising has a central impact on conscious change leading to a consumerism-based society. It is important to develop a consensus for a social policy, liquefy the consciousness, and undertake a social movement for core values in order to move society away from consumerism and its influences.

As the current media and advertising policies are driven by donors and funding, this increases the need to change the mind-set as well as develop an advertising standard authority in the form of a citizen-based body with multiple stakeholders. Such a body must be founded from the citizen viewpoint and where citizens can lodge their complaints, said Syed Akif. Dr Asma stressed the need to rethink the use of media, particularly social media, to bring positive impact. The change can be brought about by the active role of civil society which is aware of the issues, informed of what’s happening against the norms, and able to evaluate it according to its negative or positive impact on communities’ behaviours.

In his concluding remarks, Khalid Rahman stated that there is no denying that different technologies and tools have made media powerful. On one hand, where it has resulted in increased complexity of issues, it has also created opportunities. To reap the benefits, capacity building must be focused on turning the opportunities into profitable outcomes, rather than challenging the industry all together, he said. Moreover, such media concerns cannot be addressed in isolation. The debate must be understood in the larger picture including other factors as well.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

Islamabad, March 17, 2023 (PPI-OT): ‘Islamic Social Finance for Social Protection in Pakistan,’ based on year-long research carried out by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is the first-ever seminal work on the topic in the country. It is based on a review of the Zakat and Ushr and Waqf laws, the system designed in their light, implementation of this system in Pakistan and Malaysia, and extensive consultations with stakeholders. Consequently, the study has produced concrete recommendations for reforms.

It paves the way for policy dialogue to enhance the role and effectiveness of Islamic social finance institutions in enabling social protection of the vulnerable segments of the populace.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

Islamabad, February 16, 2023 (PPI-OT):India’s attempts to amend the Indus Waters Treaty will fall flat since the modification that India claims is already present in the treaty’s Article IX. To counter India’s propositions, Pakistan needs to retaliate with a pragmatic response and a legal stance with a strong projection of its standpoint.

This was noted by speakers during a roundtable titled ‘Indus Water Treaty Arbitration – Battle over Water Sharing’, held at IPS on February 13, 2023. The session was addressed as keynote speaker by Mirza Hamid Hassan, former federal secretary, Ministry of Water and Power, while Khalid Rahman, chairman IPS, Ashfaq Mahmood, former federal secretary, Ministry of Water and Power, Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, former federal secretary and senior research fellow, IPS, Dr Fiaz Hussain Shah, associate professor, Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS) at National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Dr Bashir Lakhani, water expert and Ameena Sohail, legal expert also joined the discussion.

Highlighting India’s push for bilateral negotiations to modify the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Mirza Hamid said India is already designing its water projects with storages of a higher level and obstructing river flows more than what was permitted under the Treaty. Moreover, India upholds the neutral expert’s decision on using silt clearance technology in Baglihar Dam and ignores the subsequent decision of the International Court of Arbitration in 2013 which refuted the use of silt technology for more water storage and upturned the neutral expert’s decision as far as live storage is concerned. Hence, India is violating the IWT as well as other water-sharing international laws, he stated.

He condemned what he claimed were India’s blatant attempts to gain control over the three western rivers allocated to Pakistan in violation of the IWT. Moreover, as the western rivers’ waters are Pakistan’s lifeline and it is a matter of its survival, it is high time for Pakistan to take the initiative in raising the issue and projecting its stance to protect its basic rights, to resist India’s attempts to gain control over them, and safeguard its vital interests as a lower riparian state with an agricultural economy.

Putting forward his recommendations, he stressed that a very calculated response and a comprehensive action plan on the part of the government is required, coupled with the capacity building of relevant institutions like office of Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters (PCIW), Ministry of Water Resources, and Ministry of Climate Change; establishment of data cells and faculties for research programs in technical institutions; close liaison of academia and relevant government institutions; and proactive and firm projection of Pakistan’s stance in local and foreign media. Moreover, Pakistan must be ready to take the matter to the UN if India continues to boycott the proceedings of the International Court of Arbitration.

Ashfaq Mahmood underscored that India’s attempt to make amendments to the IWT would not be fruitful as the modification which India is claiming is already present in Article IX of the IWT on the ‘settlement of differences and disputes’, which mentions the ways and means to resolve issues. Moreover, it has been in practice under mutual terms of both states and India cannot modify, amend, or rescind the IWT unilaterally.

Despite the violation and non-compliance, India keeps projecting its stance aggressively while Pakistan has been a passive player in a defensive mode. This passive role, along with a weak projection of Pakistan’s case, has provided India enough margin to plan more than 150 projects like Baglihar and Kishanganga dams in violation of the IWT.

Adding to this, Ameena Sohail highlighted the shortage of information and scholarly intelligence on Pakistan’s point of view on this issue. For this, she stressed the need for an in-depth study of IWT for a stronger projection and enhanced capability to interpret its provisions to present argumentative assertions, develop academic content, and convince the international community of Pakistan’s stance.

While concluding the session, Khalid Rahman said it is critical that despite Pakistan’s case being true and proactive, its projection is still in a passive and defensive mode. While institutional incapacities and professional inadequacies are the underlying causes, it is all related to a vicious cycle of poor governance in Pakistan. To tackle this issue, Pakistan requires comprehensive preparations for developing an action plan, projecting its narrative, and retaliating with a pragmatic and reasoned response that encompasses all dimensions of the water dispute, he said.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

Islamabad, February 04, 2023 (PPI-OT):Pakistan is among the top countries that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change while having an insignificant contribution in its causes. The COP27 meeting held in November 2022 made a breakthrough in deliverables including the initialization of loss and damage fund for the vulnerable countries.

Pakistan needs a strategy to improve environmental governance in order to enhance the effectiveness of climate financing and fostering it for adaptation measures. Moreover, exposure to the international climate financing markets is yet another necessity. Along with that, an interventional strategy is needed for improvements at the local, regional, national and international levels to mitigate and adapt the climate impact.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk

Islamabad, February 01, 2023 (PPI-OT):Naufil Shahrukh, general manager operations, IPS addressed as keynote speaker a workshop titled ‘The Rise of Digiplomacy, Stratcom and Storytelling’ organized by Pak-Afghan Youth Forum (PAYF) on January 25, 2023 as part of its youth outreach program, aiming to enhance digital interaction among youth belonging to different ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds. The participants of the workshop included attendees from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Shahrukh apprised the participants about the importance of communication, stating that while the communication has to be two-way in order to be effective, a clarity in the message being communicated is of utmost importance.

The communication strategist also termed storytelling as an integral part of human interaction, highlighting how effectively it is being used now in the areas like business strategic communication, national-building, and even in shaping narratives for the formulation of policies.

He pointed out that even research in the digital era has become much more appealing ever since it has adopted many new forms of propagation. Interestingly in return, the well-cultivated content generated on different social media platforms is also being used in academic research now, which ultimately shapes social and national identities.

Sharing his views in the context of Diplomacy between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the speaker stressed the need for countering the negativity of nationalist, divisive histories and researching and highlighting compelling stories from subaltern and micro histories that can help unite the region socially and economically, so that the people from the two countries could come closer, interact with one another, and benefit from each other’s knowledge, expertise and experiences.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk