A three-member delegation from Afghanistan visited PIPS office in Islamabad, to learn about the need and avenues of Pakistan-Afghanistan media-to-media ties.
The delegation included Mr. Abdul Farid, Mr. Sayed Najib Asil, and Mr. Reza Akbari, who worked at Tolo TV, Afghanistan’s popular television network.
The meeting noted how Pakistan and Afghanistan have many similarities. Merely because of sharing border, Afghans, in tough times, look towards Pakistan. The delegates also reminded that even today, many Afghans who studied from Pakistan are actively involved in the state building of Afghanistan.
Yet, the two sides have been unable to project each other’s viewpoints. The gap needs to be addressed, at least at the people-to-people level, where further trust can be built, including in the media industry.
To do so, participants called for collaboration between Pakistan and Afghanistan media, so that people of the two countries learn firsthand about each other. The need was felt also because of the vibrancy in the media on both sides.
The meeting hoped for positive outcomes from the upcoming “Heart of Asia” conference, jointly hosted by Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mr. Amir Rana, director PIPS, briefed the delegation about PIPS work on regional security and on its past journalists exchange program with Afghanistan.