‘Millions to be spent on NWFP’s media infrastructure’

‘Millions to be spent on NWFP’s media infrastructure’

ISLAMABAD: The government believes in bringing the Pakistani media at par with international standards and 52 media development projects are being launched in the year 2007-08 with a record allocation of Rs 6 billion.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani said this while talking to NWFP Minister for Information and Public Relations Asif Iqbal Daudzai, who called on him at the office on Wednesday. “Rs 148 million have been earmarked for the NWFP media development projects, which demonstrates the government’s resolve to take all the federating units along in the development process,” Durrani told Daudzai.

The federal minister said two Re-Broadcast Stations (RBS) of the PTV had been set up in Laram Top and Bajaur Agency, which would be inaugurated in September this year. The Laram would cost Rs 27 million and would serve around 450,000 people, while the Bajaur Agency RBS had been established at a cost of Rs 34 million and would cover 75,000 households, he added. He said the projects would carry the modern age benefits to the distant regions and would bring affordable entertainment at peoples’ doorsteps.

He said the Islamabad Media University (IMU) would be launched in the next two months at a cost of Rs 500 million, followed by setting up of its provincial campuses, including the Peshawar campus, in the second phase.

He said the IMU would offer specialised courses in media and journalism and would initiate various research projects on media related issues. Durrani told Daudzai that Rs 35 million would be spent to ensure FM Radio’s full coverage on M-1 Motorway, linking Peshawar with Islamabad, and on the Islamabad-Lahore M-2. He said FM facility on the motorways would not only make the 500 km long journey from Peshawar to Lahore informative and pleasant, but would also provide better opportunities to the media sector to expand itself in the gaps needing to be filled.

The minister said up-linking stations would be established in Islamabad and in all provincial capitals, including Peshawar, which would cost Rs 49.981 million. The up-linking facilities would provide high quality information flow between networks and subscribers, Durrani added.

Daudzai appreciated the Federal Information Ministry’s efforts for promoting media. He hailed the IMU project, which he said would ensure media people’s capacity building and bring specialisation to the field. app