"A well-coordinated and synchronized public outreach effort will counter and thwart extremist propaganda" "“ Sherry Rehman
Information Minister reviews government's counter-terrorism communications;
Directs increased coordination amongst all departments and agencies
Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Ms. Sherry Rehman, has called for intensifying the government's public outreach and strategic communications efforts to counter extremist propaganda and prevent terrorism.
"Pakistan is confronted with a war of ideas "“ between tolerance and extremism, and between democracy and anarchy," said Ms. Rehman while chairing a high-level public outreach and communications meeting held today at the Information Ministry to assess the government's counter-terrorism communications strategy.
The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Information Ministry, PTV, Radio Pakistan, PEMRA, ISPR, ISI Media Wing, APPC, and PID. It reviewed the government's ongoing public diplomacy responses to the war on terror, conflicts in Swat and FATA, and fallout of the Mumbai terror attacks.
"In this war for hearts and minds, Pakistan's vulnerable population segments are exposed to terrorists' message," said the Information Minister. "Our poor and uneducated youth become hapless recruits to their sinister recruiting techniques. Only a well-coordinated and synchronized national and international framework of public outreach and strategic communications undertaken by government departments and agencies will counter and thwart extremist propaganda that represents a major challenge to our country today."
During the meeting, officials from ISPR, PEMRA and Radio Pakistan informed the Information Minister of the government's ongoing efforts to procure equipment for jamming illegal radio transmissions in Swat and FATA. The Minister was informed that the necessary equipment will be procured and installed in the sensitive regions in the next two weeks, followed by launch of an elaborate and aggressive FM radio campaign in the region to counter extremists' transmissions.
Officials of PTV and Radio Pakistan briefed the Minister of their news and current affairs programming plans specifically focusing on counter-terrorism. PTV informed the Minister of its plans to launch a year-long public campaign for peace in partnership with civil society actors, public intellectuals and culture ambassadors in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Middle East, UK and USA.
While stressing the need to establish active and regular liaison of all Ministries and government functionaries with the media, the Information Minister directed holding the communications meeting every week at the Ministry where government-wide public outreach efforts will be reviewed and chalked out.
The Minister directed constituting a Core Working Group of the meeting which will be tasked with the specific objective of designing and implementing the government's counter-terrorism public outreach agenda.
The Information Minister also directed the streamlining of Press Sections in all of Pakistan's missions abroad to proactively present Pakistan's perspective and position in the international media.