Two-way street: FATA Secretariat keen on bridging communication gaps in tribal belt

Absence of communication has created false perceptions of tribal belt being a hub of militancy, says Fayaz Ali Shah.


Asad Zia January 29, 2015
The information director said FATA’S radio stations had closed down a long time ago due to the absence of adequate funding. STOCK IMAGE

PESHAWAR:


The FATA Secretariat is planning to develop an effective communication strategy to raise awareness about its development initiatives, public service and government policies to the general public.


In order to achieve this goal, a group of secretariat officials held a consultative session on Wednesday with journalists and university students. The purpose of the session was to inform the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) about their rights and responsibilities.

Speaking on the occasion, Information Director FATA Fayaz Ali Shah said governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and several officials from Fata have voiced their concerns over lack of awareness about development work which is being carried out in the tribal belt.

“The inhabitants of Fata and the world at large are unaware of the vast amount of money which has been allocated towards the development of the tribal areas,” he said. “This is because the FATA Secretariat has not informed the media about the steps it has taken to uplift the quality of life in the region.”

According to Shah, the absence of effective communication has generated the false perception that tribal areas are the hub of extremism and militancy.

“There is a pressing need to bridge this information gap,” he said. “Residents of tribal areas need to be informed about efforts being made to strengthen democracy and ensure justice and equality in Fata.”

Overhaul

Shah also drew attention to the negative propaganda generated by radio channels established by militants in the tribal areas. “However, the government has taken no step to counter this menace,” he said.

The information director said Fata’s radio stations had closed down a long time ago due to the absence of adequate funding. “We hope to establish a suitable communication strategy whereby people in the tribal belt can become aware of initiatives taken by the government for their welfare,” Shah said.

The way forward

Ali Imran, a lecturer of journalism and mass communication at the University of Peshawar, briefed participants on how effective communication can be achieved in the tribal belt.

“Radio is a popular medium in Fata,” he said. “The FATA Secretariat owns three radio stations in the tribal belt. However, they have not been able to perform very well due to the lack of resources.”

According to Imran, the FATA Secretariat can take advantage of the popularity of radio to get its message across. “We should work towards developing two-way communication,” he said.

During the session, participants insisted that a majority of government officials hesitate to speak to the media. As a result, they suggested communication officers should be appointed at the agency level to improve communication between the media and government.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2015.

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