Mahmood recalls his efforts for free media
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Secretary Information and Broadcasting Syed Anwar Mahmood has said that from the very onset of his career, he had worked to the best of his capabilities for establishing a free media in the country.
“During my entire career, I honestly worked for the freedom and growth of the media organisations. Each year I asked my colleagues to sit together to calculate how many milestones we had achieved. Today, I am proud that during the past eight years, we have achieved so many milestones.
“During this period, besides ensuring that the PTV, APP, PBC and other public sector media institutions are made autonomous and fortified, I am grateful to Almighty Allah that we were also able to serve the private media organisations,” he said while addressing a reception hosted by the APP to bid farewell to the outgoing “Media Guru” of the country.
“When the Pakistan Electronic Media Regularity Authority (PEMRA) was being introduced, I made sincere effort to make the body autonomous, so as the regulatory body remains out of the government control. I called Mian Javed and sought his proposals to make the PEMRA totally autonomous.
He proposed that it is vital to ensure that PEMRA gets financial autonomy as no freedom is possible without financial autonomy. I acted upon the proposal so as the body could enjoy full freedom,” he said.
“I could not have got a better farewell than what I have got and for this I am indebted to all my colleagues, friends and well-wishers. I am a very satisfied person today as I have received such a high number of calls from across country from my friends and colleagues from the media and Information Group and I think this is what I even not deserved. At the end of my innings, when I recollect my remembrance, I think all the failures were totally mine but I share all my successes with friends and colleagues,” said Anwar Mahmood in a passionate speech.
Expressing gratitude towards Managing Director APP, Rai Riaz Hussain and the APP staff members, Anwar Mahmood said he was short of words to express his feelings for the farewell he has received.
“I am passing through mixed feelings and while leaving the office, I am carrying with me the love and prayers of my friends and colleagues. This is heartening to note that you carry love, prayers, goodwill and good wishes from your friends and colleagues,” he said and added that he even could not have imagined the amount of love and esteem he had gathered on his retirement.
Earlier, MD APP Rai Riaz Hussain paid glowing tributes to the Secretary Information, saying that it was difficult to say ‘goodbye’ to such a kind, humble and caring leader.
“Syed Sahib’s personality is so rich and has so many dimensions that its quite difficult to cover all those. I have served under him for so many years and during the time not only I improved a lot but also he was so kind and generous that he elevated me. People term Syed Sahib as the most effective ‘Media Guru’ the country ever had. The way he handled the public and private media in the most difficult times is a golden chapter of history and this has made him a towering personality”.
“APP is specially indebted to Syed Sahib. Due to his efforts, the APP got Video News Service, launched APP Media City, APP staffers got promotions and around 150 employees were regularized. His tenure is a pleasant phase during which the national media progressed a lot and this is what we all are proud of,” he said.
Mrs Nayyar Mahmood, Former Federal Secretary Information Khwaja Ijaz Sarwar, Director General, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Javed Akhtar, Director General, Shalimar Recording Company, Tariq Imam, Former Director General of APP Mufti Jamiluddin, officers of Information Group and APP also attended the moot.