A delegation of South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) headed by senior journalist Reecha Chaudhry arrived in Lahore on Friday through Wahga border to participate in a regional conference of SAWM, which will be held at a local hotel from October 10-11. Chaudhry said that the objective of the conference was to discuss challenges faced by women journalists of South Asia and also seek solution to their problems.
Prominent Indian actress Nandita Das said that people of both countries want peace so issues should be solved through dialogue. "I have a good experience of working in a number of projects in Pakistan particularly a project for the welfare of street children." Das also said that the civil society and media had played an important role in promoting peace in the region.
People of South Asia should work together for the prosperity of the region and should join hands for economic co-operation as European countries did, said Das. SAWM spokesperson, Mehmal Sarfaraz told reporters that over 200 delegates from Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India and Bhutan will participate in the first regional conference of SWAM. There would be around 100 delegates from different cities of Pakistan.
The first session will begin with the keynote speech by Nandita Das while Shehar Bano Khan would present a paper on SAWM in the second session. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was likely to be the chief guest in the second session. The third session on Saturday would be for delegates only, who will discuss matters such as women participation in decision-making, women in regional media and women's portrayal in media.
Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira would be the chief guest in the plenary session of the moot on Sunday. Reports of the working committees would be presented for open house debate in the following session, in which former federal information minister Sherry Rehman will be guest of honour, said Sarfraz.