President urges media, society to play role in nation-building

Calls for greater coverage of social issues

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi has urged the media and the society at large to play their due role in strengthening moral precepts along with highlighting aspects of economic and social development.

“All indicators are in place...Pakistan will achieve moral stability. The way we hosted millions of Afghan refugees and handled terrorism, manifests that Pakistan’s moral fibre is strong,” he remarked while addressing an award distribution ceremony held to recognise the contribution of television channels in creating awareness through public service messages on Thursday.

The president conferred the first award to ARY Media Group for allocating 7,560 minutes during the first quarter (January to March 2019) for public service messaging, second award to Dawn Media Group for spending 7,440 minutes and third award to GNN News for allocating 6,660 minutes for the cause.

President Alvi said the media owed responsibility to reform the nation by dedicating more time to public service messaging on health, human rights, water conservation and other social issues.

Even in programmes focused on arts, writings and dramas, he added, the media should inculcate the aspects of nation building.

He said that not only the government but it was everyone’s responsibility to reform the nation using every medium.

Television channels, the president said, were equipped with the biggest tool for national reformation which they should utilise to create awareness on stunted growth, malnutrition, breastfeeding, cleanliness, women rights in inheritance and water conservation.

President Alvi said nation building was not possible unless media took up social issues.

He said the frequent airing of certain public service messages would deliver a clear message to the masses in changing their habits and improving their life style.

Referring to the transitions of media from print to electronic and now social media, the president said unfortunately negative news got far more mileage than the positive one, particularly in the era of social media.

The ceremony was also attended by First Lady Samina Arif Alvi, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chairman PEMRA Mirza Salim Baig, news anchors, representatives of journalist unions and senior journalists.