Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Senator Pervaiz Rashid Wednesday urged media and journalists to launch a pensive Zarb-e-Azb in order to get rid of the menace of terrorism.
A successful military operation is underway against terrorists, in which their infrastructure, factories and training centres are being destroyed and their handlers and financers are being arrested. But there is a need to launch a pensive Zarb-e-Azb against the extremist elements on the front of conflict reporting, he said.
He expressed these views while addressing the closing ceremony of a four-day media training workshop covering conflict terrorism and defence issues here at Information Service Academy (ISA).
He said that without a responsible role of media, it would be difficult to completely wipe out the disgruntled elements from the country.
Pervaiz Rashid said that Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always taught his followers to promote love, brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, adding that the followers of other religions across the world were taking guidance from the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) and progressing but Muslims have forgotten them.
The minister said the journalists should file news stories based on facts without any biased comments and approach, so that they would be regarded as good reporters in future, contrary to those who filed distorted stories during the war between Soviet Union and Vietnam and faced criticism by the later generations.
He appreciated the National Press Club (NPC) for arranging the workshop for journalists and said this would help train the journalists in discharging their professional duties in conflict zones in a secured way.
NPC President Shakeel Anjum and former president Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Afzal Butt thanked the ministry for extending cooperation in arranging the workshop.
