‘DTH service to bring information revolution’
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Muhammad Ali Durrani Friday said the Ministry of I&B would soon launch DTH (Direct To Home) service in collaboration with the private sector which would introduce revolution in the field of information in Pakistan.
He was addressing the participants of a capacity building course of Information Group Officers here at the Information Service Academy (ISA). Director General ISA Ghulam Hazoor Bajwa was also present. The Minister, during his lecture, said the government believed in development of an independent media which is the most effective accountability tool. “If the government policies are free of the ills of corruption, nepotism and malpractices, the independent media helps its functioning by making it more efficient and vibrant,” said the minister, adding that the government would fully facilitate the capacity building of the private media.
“The Ministry of I&B is taking steps to ensure transmission launching of private TV channels from Pakistan. We would provide training to journalists from private media organizations in the ISA. In order to ensure the capacity building of media personnel to fill the demand-supply gap in the print and electronic media sectors, the Media University would launch its first course by September, 2007,” said the Minister, adding that Pakistan had also finalized collaboration with China for assistance in infrastructure and faculty members.
Minister Information Muhammad Ali Durrani further said that under the vision of President Pervez Musharraf, who is the architect of free media policy, the government would also provide scholarships to those individuals who obtain a Masters Degree in the field of journalism for doing Phd, so as a new breed of young and dynamic journalists could be introduced.
“We would provide latest training, equipment and technology to the journalists for their capacity-building,” said the Minister. He said mostly the behavior of the media in Pakistan is responsible. However, the Minister said there was a dire need for the media organizations to observe certain limitations to safeguard the national interest.
“Effective implementation on these limits would not only ensure credibility of the media organisations but it would alsobreed responsible and reliable journalism. Anti-state statements or criticism against the parliament, judiciary and the armed forces should be discouraged,” said the minister while elaborating his viewpoint.
Senator Durrani said such an irresponsible act could not only endanger the institutions but it could also distort the image of the state. “Such a behavior is criminal as per the Constitution and international laws. For the purpose, the government would focus on awareness and training to the journalists of public as well as private sector media organizations and the Media University would become a hub of such capacity building activities,” said the Minister, adding that the Media University would also facilitate not only the South Asian region but also the whole Muslim World. The Minister said the government has decided that no public sector media organization would be used for disinformation or distorting the image of the Opposition leaders.
“The government would not use APP, PTV and PBC for political motives. Rather, these institutions would prove to be sources of credible journalism. We are also promoting inter-dependency between the public and private media organisations,” he said and added that the APP has launched ENG (Electronic News Gathering) service and it would be used to provide electronic feed and visual service to the private TV channels. He said this service would soon be expanded upto the district level.