Ambassador
Aizaz Chaudhry has said that Pakistan intends to strengthen its bilateral
relations with the United States, based on mutual respect and dignity. He was
addressing a distinguished gathering of Pakistani Journalists at a dinner
hosted by Pakistani American Press Association (PAPA). The dinner was also
attended by a delegation of prominent Pakistani journalists including President
Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Mr. Afzal Butt and President
National Press Club (NPC) Mr. Shakeel Anjum who are currently visiting United
States of America. Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry was the Chief Guest on the
occasion, says a press release received from Washington here today.
While
speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry gave detailed overview of
the current state of relations between Pakistan and the US. Ambassador
emphasized that positive trajectory in Pak-US relations has always been
beneficial for both the countries. Pakistan is a peace loving nation. “We are
following a positive agenda and looking forward to having a long term,
sustainable and broad-based relations with the US, Ambassador Chaudhry said. Ambassador
Aizaz Chaudhry said that peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of both
Pakistan and the US. Pakistan's hard-won economic and security gains would be
at risk as long as Afghanistan remains unstable.
While
commenting on the role and responsibilities of the journalists in modern era,
Ambassador Chaudhry appreciated the vibrant role being played by the print and
electronic media to safeguard public interest in Pakistan. Ambassador urged the
journalists to follow the principles of objectivity, fairness, accuracy and
impartiality in their reporting. Journalism is a ‘sacred responsibility’, he
added. During his remarks the Ambassador admired the role of Pakistani American
community in enhancing the image of Pakistan through their remarkable
contributions in various fields of life in the US. Ambassador Chaudhry also
appreciated the role of Pakistani American journalists who,
being an important segment of the Pakistani American community are playing a
significant role of keeping the community informed and helping them in opinion
formation on various issues.
President
PFUJ, President NPC and other members of the media delegation also expressed
their views on various topics. The speakers apprised the audience about the
problems/challenges being faced by the working journalists in Pakistan. They
also highlighted the need for objective and balanced reporting by the
mainstream Pakistani journalists while discouraging unhealthy trend of
sensationalism in which ‘ truth and facts’ are always the first casualty
. The event was well-attended by the DC based Pakistani American journalists.
Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry thanked the organizers of PAPA for arranging such an
informative session that provided an opportunity for the participants to and
the event was concluded on a positive note.
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