Govt to implement Right to Information law in AJK

• Secretary Midhat announces Journalism, Mass Communication Department in any AJK university

MUZZAFARABAD: The Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) government has announced that the Right to Information law would also be implemented in the state as it has been enforced in other provinces of Pakistan.

Talking to journalists here, AJK Information and Tourism Secretary Midhat Shahzad said that she believes in access to information to promote the healthy journalism in the society and make all departments accountable.

Besides keeping people updated about daily happenings, journalists must also work for positive image building of the Kashmiri state, Midhat said, adding that they have to work hard to promote tourism both in North and South regions of the state.

“We must aim to provide job opportunities to the unemployed, educated youth in private sector. We have spectacular tourism destinations from Bhimber to Taubut and Kotli to Bagh that must be promoted during the whole year,” she said.

She said that AJK has ideal locations and tourism destinations to promote winter tourism in Mirpur division. In summer, Neelum Valley, Rawalakot, Bagh and Chikar were full of natural beauty to attract much more visitors, she remarked. She said that the journalists living in AJK must work for the national integration and the promotion of Kashmir issue.

Besides informing, educating and entertaining the people she said that it was also the prime duty of the local journalists to work hard for the promotion of right to self-determination and expose atrocities and ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC).

“We are working on land automation and this programme has also been launched in few tehsils on pilot basis which would be expanded from urban to rural areas as well,” Midhat who is also the secretary of the Information Technology shared her views about e-governance.

She said that she would take up the establishment of Journalism and Mass Communication Department in any public sector university in the state as it was national responsibility to promote standard journalism that was possible only after the launching of a proper media department.