Foreign media to monitor, cover elections: Solangi

Islamabad: The Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi Tuesday said: “The international observers and journalists will visit Pakistan to monitor and cover general elections to be held on February 8”.

Murtaza Solangi addressed a news conference along with Secretary Information Shahera Shahid, Director General Radio Pakistan Saeed Ahmed Sheikh and Executive Director General External Publicity Wing Ambreen Jan in Islamabad.

Sharing details of the applications being processed, the Information Minister said that 49 visas have so far been issued to the foreign journalists whilst 32 are under process.

He stated that Pakistan's High Commission in India has also received 24 applications which are being processed.

The Information Minister added: ‘A total of 174 applications from various foreign media outlets have been received’.

He mentioned that several international media outlets including CNN, BBC, DW and those of Japan already have presence in Pakistan and they will be covering the elections on National and Provincial Assemblies' seats.

The applications submitted by the foreign observers are also being processed. 25 applications have been received from Britain, eight from Russia, 13 from Japan, five from Canada, two from South Africa and five from Commonwealth, the minister further said.

Solangi continued to say that international journalists and observers are being given permission letters for monitoring and coverage of the electoral process in three big cities of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. He, however mentioned that if a foreign journalist wants to visit any other city, his case will be processed on case- by-case basis.

The Information Minister said that local journalists are being provided with accreditation cards for coverage of the general elections.

He further stated that 6065 accreditation cards have so far been issued to the local journalists across the country.

Giving a city wise break-up, Murtaza Solangi told that 1200 cards have been issued in Lahore, 1470 in Karachi, 1059 in Peshawar, 600 in Quetta, 355 in Hyderabad, 250 in Faisalabad and 290 in Multan.

Responding to a question, the Information Minister further said: “It is the responsibility of the state to provide security to its citizens and we will also be providing security to the foreign journalists and observers”.

Executive Director General (DG) External Publicity (EP) Wing Ambreen Jan, in her remarks, said we have received requests from 14 countries for their journalists and observers to be allowed coverage of the elections.

She stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also issued a code of conduct for the foreign journalists and observers.

The Executive DG EP Wing said a media cell will be established at the office of Press Information Department (PID) where all facilities will be provided to the foreign observers and journalists.

She added a cell at EP Wing has also been established for the issuance of accreditation cards to the journalists.