| ISLAMABAD: Our neighbours are realising
the value of advertising. Pakistan federal minister for information
and broadcasting (I&B) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has asked advertising
agencies to play a larger role in the image building of the country,
aimed at meeting the future challenges and attracting foreign direct
investment. The minister was presiding over the inaugural session
of 'Round Table Conference on Advertising in Pakistan'.
The meet was attended by I&B ministry secretaries, director
generals of the national broadcasters and representatives of the
ad associations and accredited advertising agencies from Islamabad,
Lahore and Karachi.
Minister Ahmed urged the ad agencies to work for promoting Pakistan
as a moderate, liberal and progressive state in the world. He added
that ad agencies would promote marketing values along with code
of ethics for the betterment of the society.
The minister also reassured the gathering and stated that the government
would try to resolve their problems at the earliest.
Regarding licensing for private television channels, he said the
government would grant licences to private companies for setting
up private channels aimed at promoting healthy competition in the
field of electronic media.
Ahmed said many companies had approached the government for setting
up channels including a private channel, Star Pakistan, which would
be a purely Pakistani channel. "CNN and BBC have also talked
about their Urdu service," the minister disclosed.
The ministry officials also called upon owners of advertising agencies
to make a code of ethics to discourage gloomy advertising in electronic
as well as print media.
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