ISLAMABAD: Media has a critical role in bringing the people and governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan closer to ensure success of the efforts for peace and the Afghan media in particular must contribute to this effect.
This was stated by Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage while talking to a delegation of Afghan media.
She said that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with Afghanistan as both the countries shared common history, culture and religion.
Marriyum Aurgangzeb emphasised that both the countries owed it to the posterity to ensure stability in the region so that the people inhabiting the region could live in peace and harmony.
“Pakistan is committed to a broad-based and mutually beneficial relationship with Afghanistan. It is ready to do all that it can to restore peace in Afghanistan because peaceful and stable Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan,” she said.
“Pakistan is pursuing a policy of peaceful neighbourhood so that the nations in the region can achieve their common goals of eliminating poverty and ushering in an era of progress and prosperity for their citizens. Pakistan and Afghanistan had suffered heavily in men and material due to the burgeoning terrorism and religious extremism which are common enemies of both the countries,” she said.
She urged the media to deny space to voices that triggered misunderstandings between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and rise to the occasion by playing its role to spread the message of peace and love as embodied in our rich cultural heritage.
The Afghan media delegation thanked the minister for the warm welcome they received on their arrival in the ministry and expressed their resolve to help promote good relations between both the countries.
The minister said that the government of Pakistan would take all necessary measures to facilitate a meaningful interaction between the media of both countries so that greater understanding could be evolved through informed opinion.
Separately, the minister addressed a four-day International Exhibition on Islamic Calligraphy. “Fine arts, literature, natrional heritage and culture are the best mediums to project positive image of Pakistan at the global level,” she said.
She said that learning the art of Islamic calligraphy was an auspicious attainment as besides being an art, it also exhibited love and reverence for the Almighty and watching the master pieces of Islamic calligraphy had a soul-stirring impact.
The exhibition has been organised by the National History and Literary Heritage Division in collaboration with Research Center for Islamic History, Arts and Culture (IRCICA).
The minister said that the purpose of holding the exhibition was to introduce Pakistani culture at the global level. Marriyum told the audience that Pakistan was going to organise an international film festival next month where films from all over the world would be screened and the event was purported to convey it to the world that Pakistan was an embodiment of peace and love.
The minister informed the audience that the government was in the process of promulgating the first-ever film and broadcasting production policy in the country to revive and encourage the film industry to play its due role in refurbishing the image of the country among the comity of nations.
She said that 60 per cent population of the country consisted of youth, but unfortunately they were not well-versed with their culture.
Published in Daily Times, August 26th 2017.
