Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf has reiterated government’s resolve to rid the country of the menace of polio. He said this while chairing a meeting of Polio Task Force on Tuesday. “We cannot and will not allow polio to wreak havoc in the lives of our children,” he said. Seeking a polio-free life was a fundamental right, he added.
The prime minister said a polio-free Pakistan is a cherished goal of the government. “This is the least we owe our children and we will continue efforts until polio is wiped out from the country” said the prime minister.
He said Pakistan had come a long way from the first time an anti-polio drive had been initiated in 1994 by Benazir Bhutto, the number of polio cases had dropped from 20,000 cases in 1994 to 56 cases in 2012.’
Ashraf said the very fact that Pakistan was one of the few countries where polio still existed should only strengthen the resolve to leave no stone unturned to eradicate polio completely. He expressed satisfaction over the fact that improved coordination had played a role in reducing the problem of accessibility. He lauded the establishment of special vaccination points to ensure that every child moving in and out of FATA was immunised against the virus.
PM urges national media to present soft, peace-loving image of Pakistan: Meanwhile, talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Prime Minister Ashraf stressed the need for a responsible role to be played by the media in the country, urging it to present a soft and peace-loving image of Pakistan to counter the negative propaganda on the international level.
The PM said media must focus on research‚ thorough investigation and factual reporting.
He said foreign media eagerly highlighted local news reports that carried content against Pakistan.
Ashraf lauded the long struggle of media in attaining its position as a powerful organ of the state. He said Pakistani culture was rooted in the traditions of safeguarding human rights‚ the rights of women and caring for each other, asking media to promote such a picture of Pakistan. “Whatever pen-picture you draw about your country, it would have a far-reaching impact,” the premier told the delegation comprising leading newspaper owners.
Ashraf said media’s criticism was significant and could be positively taken as a guideline. He said written words carried a greater impact than verbal ones, adding that a published article, news piece or an editorial could be quoted as reference.
The PM said the next few months were crucial because a democratic and civilian parliament was nearing completion of its tenure for the first time in the country’s history. He said continuity of democracy was vital for speedy progression. He hoped that in the forthcoming general elections, the media would play a constructive role in pin-pointing the shortcomings and giving a positive direction to national politics.
He said untoward incidents happen in all societies and mentioned the recent shooting at a school in the United States as an example in which several children were killed, adding that their local media reported the shooting with a totally different approach compared to Pakistan’s media.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira and State Minister for Information Samsam Ali Bukhari. The APNS delegation comprised APNS Senior Vice President Mehtab Khan, Secretary General Masood Hamid, Joint Secretary Imtinan Shahid, Finance Secretary Javed Mehr Shamsi and members of the executive council.
