Pakistan media keen to engage with Bangladesh counterparts

The media outlets in Pakistan are keen to engage with their Bangladeshi counterparts in order to have better understanding about each other which will ultimately benefit both the peoples of the countries. “We want to engage with Dhaka (National) Press Club. We will take initiative to sign a memorandum with them to facilitate regular exchanges among journalists of both the countries,” Siraj Ahmed, president of Karachi Press Club, told a Bangladeshi delegation on its premises comprising media personalities and lawyer and entrepreneur that recently visited Pakistan at  the invitation of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad. “This will help journalists
visit Bangladesh and Pakistan to have better understanding of the countries and convey the potential areas of cooperation to the peoples,” he said.
“Deeper engagements between journalists will ensure more people-to-people contacts and help bridge the gap between the two governments which will ultimately benefit both the peoples. The elected president of the Karachi Press Club, the oldest and largest press club in Pakistan, also said, “It is time for both the countries to move forward burying the horrific chapter of the past. During the interaction, he was accompanied by his secretary Maqsood Ahmed Yousuf, other office bearers of the executive committee and some other senior journalists.
Siraj Ahmed also informed that his
club signed memorandums with Mumbai Press Club of India as well as Kolkata Press Club.
“Members of Mumbai Press Club visited Pakistan while members of our Press Club visited India. Those visits were productive. The more we will visit each other the more we will understand about each other,” said Siraj.
He also mentioned a campaign named ‘Aman ki Asha (hope for peace) between India and Pakistan, jointly initiated by the Jang Group of Pakistan and The Times of India Group, and said that the journalists can make a difference with regard to relationships between the countries. Siraj also informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the Karachi Press Club while her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held a press conference there.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the state-run Pakistan Television expressed his keen interest to engage with Bangladesh Television, which is also a state-run
entity. “I know people of Bangladesh can watch Pakistan Television while our people cannot watch Bangladesh Television,” Ata ul Haq Qasmi told the same delegation in Islamabad. “I want people of Pakistan to be able to watch Bangladesh Television and I will take initiatives in this regard,” he said. “I am also thinking of exchanging programmes between the two state-run televisions for peoples to have better understanding about Bangladesh and Pakistan,” said the chairman. As far as journalism is concerned, he acknowledged the limitation of being a state-run organisation, saying, “Yes, there are limitations. Despite that we try to give opposition parties as much space as possible.”

Pakistan media keen to engage with Bangladesh counterparts

The media outlets in Pakistan are keen to engage with their Bangladeshi counterparts in order to have better understanding about each other which will ultimately benefit both the peoples of the countries. We want to engage with Dhaka (National) Press Club. We will take initiative to sign a memorandum with them to facilitate regular exchanges among journalists of both the countries, Siraj Ahmed, president of Karachi Press Club, told a Bangladeshi delegation on its premises comprising media personalities and lawyer and entrepreneur that recently visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad. This will help journalists visit Bangladesh and Pakistan to have better understanding of the countries and convey the potential areas of cooperation to the peoples, he said. Deeper engagements between journalists will ensure more people-to-people contacts and help bridge the gap between the two governments which will ultimately benefit both the peoples. The elected president of the Karachi Press Club, the oldest and largest press club in Pakistan, also said, It is time for both the countries to move forward burying the horrific chapter of the past. During the interaction, he was accompanied by his secretary Maqsood Ahmed Yousuf, other office bearers of the executive committee and some other senior journalists. Siraj Ahmed also informed that his club signed memorandums with Mumbai Press Club of India as well as Kolkata Press Club. Members of Mumbai Press Club visited Pakistan while members of our Press Club visited India. Those visits were productive. The more we will visit each other the more we will understand about each other, said Siraj. He also mentioned a campaign named Aman ki Asha (hope for peace) between India and Pakistan, jointly initiated by the Jang Group of Pakistan and The Times of India Group, and said that the journalists can make a difference with regard to relationships between the countries. Siraj also informed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the Karachi Press Club while her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman held a press conference there. Meanwhile, the chairman of the state-run Pakistan Television expressed his keen interest to engage with Bangladesh Television, which is also a state-run entity. I know people of Bangladesh can watch Pakistan Television while our people cannot watch Bangladesh Television, Ata ul Haq Qasmi told the same delegation in Islamabad. I want people of Pakistan to be able to watch Bangladesh Television and I will take initiatives in this regard, he said. I am also thinking of exchanging programmes between the two state-run televisions for peoples to have better understanding about Bangladesh and Pakistan, said the chairman. As far as journalism is concerned, he acknowledged the limitation of being a state-run organisation, saying, Yes, there are limitations. Despite that we try to give opposition parties as much space as possible.