Daily Times

Pakistan has called for devising a comprehensive strategy to end the digital divide among different nations by developing communication infrastructure, capabilities and extending support to developing countries to cope with the challenges, particularly the Covid 19.

Pakistan’s Press Councillor Dr Maryium Sheikh speaking at a debate of the 43th annual session of UN general assembly’s Committee on Information said that several poor nations lack the latest reliable and affordable internet facility.

She said spread of information in different languages to reach the masses particularly in the pandemic situation is necessary to save lives. In this situation, the United Nations’ relevant departments should play their role effectively.

She, appreciating the United Nations and its different institutions for their efforts to spread information of public welfare, thanked them for broadcasting some of those messages in Urdu.

Dr Maryam Sheikh said that recent investigations by EU disinfolab showed the sophisticated disinformation campaigns targeting the United Nations bodies, EU member countries and Pakistan. She said in certain cases disinformation is being weaponised to disrupt societies and wage war through other means.

“In this regard, we believe the misuse of UN processes by some NGO and some other entities that spread fake news and misinformation, warrant Dept of Global Communication’s urgent attention,” she maintained.