Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday asked the satellite TV channels owned by Pakistanis operating abroad to stage come back as the government was fully determined to offer all possible facilities to them. "Efforts are on to make an operational Media City in the capital thus offering facilities to the satellite TV channels to air their programmes from here," he said. He was speaking at the award distribution ceremony among the outstanding students and researchers in the field of Mass Media by Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).
In all, 18 students besides researchers, selected from all the universities of the country and AJK, were given prizes and offered scholarships to continue their studies and researches on various topics related to electronic media. He offered jobs in PTV to all the 18 students and researchers who achieved excellence and were given commendation certificates and cash prizes.
He reiterated Pakistan was the only country in the region where no 'press advice' was issued at any government level. However, the liberty should be taken as enhancement in responsibility to air and project the material being limited within the boundaries of religious, social and moral values.
He announced that soon the channels under cross-media would be allowed to set up their establishments, as there were 37 channels interested to be on-air in the country. This step would not only help generate job opportunities but would also provide a healthy competition in entertainment, information, news and other sectors of the sphere.
He highlighted that Pemra should take steps to bring all the cable operators in its registration net, thus binding cable operators to follow the laws and regulations of the Authority. He appreciated Pemra for starting the awards for the excellent students of the country.
In his address of welcome, Chairman Pemra Iftekhar Rashid said that the awards were given to those students and researchers who underwent a transparent and strict system of merit. "We have selected the 'best of the best' while considering their exceptional curricular and extra curricular record," he said.
Those four students who were given Gold Medals along with Rs 10,000 cash award included, Babar Niaz (Balochistan University), Afshan Manzoor Sheikh (University of Jamshoro Hyderabad), Qura-Tul- Aain (Gomal University NWFP) and Talah Munir (University of Punjab).
Those were given scholarships of Rs 25,000 each for M Phil research included, Raza-ur-Rehman Qazi (NWFP), Saba Kaukab (AJK), Syed Amir Hussain (Sindh), Humaira Latif (Punjab), Sana Mirza (Geo TV). While an exceptional excellence award was given to FG Margallah College Islamabad for producing 100 percent results in the recent examination held in the Mass Communication discipline.
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