Reforms process started in MoIB in 2018 being resumed: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday said that the process of reforms started in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) in 2018 was being resumed.
The minister, in a series of tweets, said that the PTV News had been given a deadline of June 1 to complete the HD project pending since 2019.
From June 1, the PTV News would be converted to full HD, and PTV Sports would also become an HD channel this year, he added.
Similarly, Fawad said that foundation of a new English channel would be laid this year.
He said that the Pakistan Television (PTV) studios in Karachi and Lahore would be renovated on Public Private Partnership mode. Moreover, he added, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) would be made a digital news agency.
He further said that steps have been taken to make the Press Information Department (PID) and advertising system completely paperless. The External Publicity Wing would also be completely revamped, he added.
Fawad said the revival of film and drama was the first priority of the government.
Work had started on world class production (of documentaries) on the lives of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Tipu Sultan, he added.
The Kamyab Jawan programme, he said, would provide loans of up to Rs50 million to the young drama and film makers.
Under the Prime Minister’s Housing Project, houses and Sehat Insaf Cards would be provided to journalists associated with print and electronic media, the minister said.
He said that legislation was being made for mandatory payment of salaries to overcome the problem of delay in the media industry.
It would also be his policy to provide facilities to the press clubs, while full support would be given to the digital media, he added.