PESHAWAR
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb inaugurated a project aimed at ensuring regional languages around-the-clock transmission on Pakistan Television (PTV) National
The initiative was meant to promote regional languages and provide quality entertainment to locals and overseas Pakistanis
After its inauguration, PTV National KP programs would be watched by over 95 percent of the population through their TV sets
Addressing the inaugural ceremony at PTV Peshawar Center, Marriyum Aurangzeb said besides people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, the overseas Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries would also be able to watch their favourite programs and musical shows through satellite on PTV
Congratulating the ministry of Information team and PTV management, she said the project was launched in response to the long-standing demand of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
It would not only promote the culture and heritage of Khyber Pakthunkhwa abroad but would also bring people of different languages closer
She said the closure of cinemas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially in Peshawar had adversely affected the entertainment industry
PTV was a family channel and its transmission could be watched across the country, she added
Marriyum Aurangzeb said KP was rich in culture and heritage and its entertainment industry would be instrumental in curbing intolerance in society
To promote cinema culture, she said a cinema was inaugurated on the premises of Radio Pakistan Lahore and Peshawar to provide recreational opportunities to the public
The minister said those who ransacked and burnt the Radio Pakistan Peshawar building, its Chaghi model mountains, studios, auditorium and dramas/music archives had been exposed before the masses
She said under national digitalization program, the music and other archives of Radio Pakistan and PTV would be digitalized
The minister said that the people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa had bravely fought the war against terrorism and the promotion of cinema and films was meant to provide them with healthy entertainment, information and education
Marriyum Aurangzeb lashed out at the previous government for its poor policies and hollow slogans, saying that she had neither seen 350 dams nor billions of trees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Through PTV Flix, she said the people of Pakistan could now watch their favourite dramas, films and songs through their mobile phones
She said one party had put on fire the national installations and attacked national monuments on May 9 after its politics became irrelevant while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had constructed motorways, energy projects and made Pakistan’s defense impregnable
The minister said that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif had launched free laptops scheme for students of Pakistan including Khyber Pakthunkhwa
She said the prime minister distributed laptops among talented students of different universities in Peshawar today
She said Fata University Phase-1 completed with an estimated cost of Rs1
5 billion was inaugurated by the prime minister today, however, its foundation was laid during the previous Government of PML-N
She said the development projects launched by the PML-N government had brought positive changes in people’s lives
Engr Amir Muqam, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Political and Public Affairs and National Heritage said that PTV being a family channel had provided quality education, information and entertainment since its establishment
He said extension of transmission of PTV National was the long awaited demand of the people of Khyber Pakthunkhwa and overseas Pakistanis that was fulfilled today by the Government
He expressed that PTV National would give appropriate time to all languages of Khyber Pakthunkhwa
Secretary Information and Managing Director PTV, Sohail Ali Khan said that existing resources were used in the extension of the transmission period of the PTV National
He said it would help create national cohesion and bring people of different languages closer
He said that the transmission time of PTV Multan’s Seraiki, PTV Lahore’s Punjabi and PTV Sindh’s Sindhi would be increased shortly
Besides PTV authorities, the function was also attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister for Revenue, Pir Haroon Shah, Principal Information Officer, Mubashir Hassan, DG PID Ashfaq Khalil and GM PTV Peshawar Aurangzeb Afridi
Later, traditional gifted was presented to the Federal Minister.
