Khattak calls for info department revamp

CM said the provincial Information and PR department should not operate as a mouthpiece of the government.

Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has said the provincial information and public relations department should not operate as a mouthpiece of the government.

He was speaking at a meeting held in Peshawar on Sunday to review the department’s overall role and performance in view of the challenges posed by electronic and social media.

Khattak said the information department should be restructured and revamped as it can play a critical role in the age of information technology. According to a handout issued on Sunday by the CM Secretariat, he directed the rehabilitation of Regional Information Offices with minimum essential staff.

The CM said PROs should be appointed for ministers in the initial stage. Moreover, the department should be given a new lease of life in phases, he added.

Khattak insisted the information department must work as a “full-fledged institution” to promote government’s initiatives for development, public welfare and education. The department should take effective measures to generate awareness about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and enable them to make the best use of government facilities, he added.

Going social

The department acts as a bridge between the government and the people, said Khattak. “It should be revamped to meet the new requirements of the media and other contemporary needs.”

Furthermore, the CM added the information department should go beyond its traditional functions of catering to newspapers and journals and extend its role to electronic and social media.

According to Khattak, a close relationship should be developed with focal persons in each department to look after publicity and marketing concerns. He emphasised the need to streamline overall functions of the department to improve service delivery.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2014.