Fawad Chaudhry announces plan to revamp information ministry

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday announced his plan to reform and revamp the ministry to include public-private partnership.

According to an article in Dawn, the minister said throughout the world, entertainment and sports channels were run through public-private partnerships. He regretted how the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was turning into a mouthpiece for ruling parties when in actual, it should be the spokesperson of the state.

The minister said all major components of the ministry including administration, news wing, broadcasting and Press Information Department (PID) were being revamped.

He said people would see changes in Radio Pakistan and the PTV in a few months, adding that the two were being revamped.

“PTV will begin digital transmission next month,” he said, adding that it would be an HD channel by June.

He said the PTV should focus on issues of importance instead of following the norms set by private TV channels.

“For example the government is implementing uniform curriculum for the first time in the history of the country but nobody is highlighting it in a way it should have been highlighted,” he added.

The minister said PTV News Channel and PTV English News Channel would be run by the government and would be improved on modern lines with an aim to present quality news so that the state narrative was promoted in the “war of opinions”.

He said the surplus staff that PTV will let go will be provided golden handshakes and benefits, adding that the government had no plan to re-hire PTV employees in the future it was letting go.