-Int’l media needs to change its perception about Pakistan: Janjua
— Marriyum Aurangzeb urges media outlets for self-introspection
ISLAMABAD: National Security Advisor (NSA) Nasser Khan Janjua has said that Pakistan is a predecessor of peace, but the perception of international media creates problems, and this needs to be corrected with a reality check.
Addressing the International Conference of News Agencies organised by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) in Islamabad on Sunday, under the theme of ‘Pakistan’s Media – Opportunities and Challenges’, with the special focus on ‘News Agencies’, Janjua said that different perceptions exist about Pakistan in the world.
He said that sometimes, Pakistan is considered a poor Muslim country that is unsafe due to threats of extremism and terrorism.
“At times, it is also dubbed as a nuclear country where nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists,” he said adding that Pakistan is being blamed for playing a double game in Afghanistan, however, these perceptions are not based on reality.
Presenting a pictorial reflection of Pakistan, Janjua said that Pakistan is a country of over two hundred million people and holds a rich culture which needs to be highlighted in the international media.
Eliswan Azly, a representative of the Indonesian news agency Antara, told APP that they wanted to expand news exchange with APP. “A system must be devised for prompt exchange of news, especially videos,” he said.
He said that there were 113 channels in Indonesia, and Antara needed footages from Pakistan.
Antara has a wide coverage network across the globe, producing nearly 1300 news stories daily. It has 300 subscribers and 60 percent of the funds are provided by the government. The agency plans to disseminate news stories and video footages to newspapers and TV channels free of charge in next two years.
Azerbaijan’s news agency AzerTec representative, Gunel Melikovsaid that she was very happy to come to Pakistan as Pakistanis were very hospitable people.
Greek news agency ANA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michalis Psilos expressed the need for inking a news exchange agreement with the APP as Pakistan is an important country.
He said that over 100,000 Pakistanis were working in Greece; he had come to Pakistan for the first time and hoped his visit would help strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
“I am excited to know that Islamabad’s Master Plan was designed by a Greek architect-engineer and town planner Dr Constantinos Apostolou Doxiadis (1913-1975). Islamabad is a very beautiful city,” he added.
Muhammad Usman of Sudan News Agency (SNA) felt the need for a prompt and efficient news exchange service as well. He said that he had come to Pakistan for the first time but would like to come again.