ISLAMABAD: The Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, on Friday, said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a gigantic economic project and the present government would ensure its success and also take steps to further expand it. The minister, while visiting the Pakistan Television (PTV) Academy, Radio Pakistan Academy and Radio Dosti Channel, said that the fifth generation war was being fought on the media and the western media was publishing biased news about the CPEC. He said that the state media could play an important role in promoting the positive image of the country. The government would equip the state media with modern technology and the state-run channels would be converted to high definition technology in phases. The minister said that the PTV and Radio Pakistan academies would be merged and converted into a single state-of-the-art media university. The minister said that the PTV was the prime state media institution and its progress would prove harbinger of change in the entire media industry. The minister further said time was changing rapidly and the use of technology was increasing with every passing day and Pakistan would have to keep pace with the world. He promised to revive the old glory of the PTV and said that in the past, PTV was damaged by political interference but the present government would restore its image. On arrival, the minister was received by Raffat Nazir. He visited various sections of the academy and met its staff. The PTV academy was established 30 years ago and most of its equipment had become outdated now. The minister also visited PTV Home and saw its various sections including the studio. The General Manager PTV Home Kanwal Masood briefed the minister. In his address, the minister announced that the PTV’s signal would soon be digitalized and the funds in this regard would be provided by China. He called for the launch of public private partnership for improving the programming section of the PTV. The interests of the PTV employees would be guarded and efforts would be made to help the PTV stand on its feet and the constitution of new Board of Governors for PTV was a step towards that direction, the minister said. Chaudhry Fawad also visited Pakistan Broadcasting Academy and was briefed about working of the institution. The minister planted a sapling in the lawns of the academy in furtherance of Government’s tree plantation campaign. During his visit to the Radio Museum, he took interest in the equipment on display especially the microphone used by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to announce the creation of Pakistan. The information minister also visited the studios of China Radio International’s Dosti Channel established at the premises of the academy. In a live interview, he said that Pakistan and China enjoyed time-tested friendship and Pakistan was proud of its relationship with Beijing. He further said that the CPEC would be further expanded and never undermined. Published in Daily Times, September 15th 2018.