The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Nisar A Memon, has said that defence of Pakistan is undefeatable, and urged the national media to play its role positively for the promotion of national integrity.
He was addressing the concluding session of a two-day conference on 'National Integrity and Media', organised by Punjab University Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) at the Auditorium of Pervez Hassan Environmental Law Centre. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr Mujahid Kamran, ICS Director Dr Mughees-ud-Din Sheikh, and prominent media persons, including columnists and analysts from all the four provinces were also present on the occasion.
The minister said that national integrity was the need of the hour as Pakistan is a great state of 1.6 million people.
He said that reconciliation and national consensus "are very important" to strengthen the country's defence.
The Vice-Chancellor said that prophets were sent to establish integration and unity among the human beings and, later, Caliphs took up the same mission. "We got Pakistan due to the untiring efforts of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who gathered the Muslims of the subcontinent on one platform."
Dr Mughees said that the Institute of Communication Studies has made compulsory for its students to learn at least one regional language and, in this way, the Institute was contributing towards the cause of national integrity. He said that the Institute would soon start short courses for cameramen and light men to facilitate the professional media men.
Earlier, in the light of first day's research papers, speeches and discussions, three working groups were formed which proposed various recommendations to establish national integrity in the country by utilising media effectively.
The recommendations included establishment of a media 'university', promotion of regional newspapers and providing security to the life and property of journalists.