ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi has said that international observers and journalists will visit Pakistan to monitor and cover general elections to be held on February 8, this year.
He was addressing 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 here in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Sharing details of the applications being processed, the Information Minister said that forty-nine visas have so far been issued to the foreign journalists whilst thirty-two are under process.
He said Pakistan’s High Commission in India has also received twenty-four applications which are being processed. He said a total of one hundred and seventy-four applications from various foreign media outlets have been received.
The Information Minister mentioned that several international media outlets including CNN, BBC, DW and those of Japan are already present in Pakistan and they will be covering the elections on National and Provincial Assemblies’ seats.
He said the applications submitted by the foreign observers are also being processed. He said twenty-five applications have been received from Britain, eight from Russia, thirteen from Japan, five from Canada, two from South Africa and five from Commonwealth.
Murtaza Solangi said 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 said if a foreign journalist wants to visit any other city, his case will be processed on case- by-case basis.
He said local journalists are being provided with accreditation cards for coverage of the general elections. He said six thousand and sixty-five accreditation cards have so far been issued to the local journalists across the country.
Giving a city wise break-up, Murtaza Solangi said twelve hundred cards have been issued in Lahore, one thousand four hundred seventy in Karachi, one thousand fifty in Peshawar, six hundred in Quetta, three hundred fifty five in Hyderabad, two hundred fifty in Faisalabad and two hundred ninety in Multan.
Responding to a question, the Information Minister 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 External Publicity Wing Ambreen Jan, in her remarks, said we have received requests from fourteen countries for their journalists and observers to be allowed coverage of the elections.
She said the Election Commission has also issued a code of conduct for the foreign journalists and observers. She said a media cell will be established at the office of Principal Information Officer where all facilities will be provided to the foreign observers and journalists.
Ambreen Jan said a cell at External Publicity Wing has also been established for the issuance of accreditation cards to the journalists.
