Post lockdown, Pakistan hopes to expedite media accords signed with KSA

Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz during an interview with Arab News in Islamabad on May 14, 2020. (AN photo)

• Information minister Says talks underway between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to revamp a working group of information ministries from both countries
• Says the time is ripe for countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to encourage projects that represent Muslim history, heritage and culture

ISLAMABAD: Following the lifting of restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus, Pakistan hopes to expedite work on media and culture-related agreements signed last year with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Pakistani information minister said on Thursday.
Last year, Pakistan’s then information minister had announced during a visit to the Saudi capital of Riyadh that Islamabad would soon export its television series to the Kingdom. The press information department in Islamabad also said in March last year that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had agreed to form a working group which would explore the possibilities of collaboration in filmmaking, drama production and the performing arts.
In August last year, Saudi Media Minister Turki Al-Shabanah also met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss media cooperation.
“Saudi Arabian culture is very dear to Pakistanis so we would like to work with them through joint productions, cultural exchanges of artisans,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz told Arab News in an interview. “We have a number of MOUs [memorandums of agreement] signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and would like to fast forward their implementation after this coronavirus pandemic in order to tackle the challenges faced by to the Muslim world.”
“Now is the time for Muslim countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to encourage and create projects that project Muslim history, heritage and culture by bringing out the work and greatness achieved by our legends,” Faraz said, adding that talks between the two nations were underway to revamp a working group representing information ministries from both countries.
Last year, a popular Pakistani drama from the eighties, ‘Dhoop Kinare’, was dubbed in Arabic and broadcast for the first time in the Kingdom. A number of Pakistani films have also been aired in the Kingdom since 2018.
In a visit to Pakistan last year, Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman also spoke of enhancing cultural and media ties between the two nations.
“Muslim countries are weak on the media side,” Faraz said. “There are many Islamic heroes in the Arab world and Pakistan too. By bringing their work before our people, we can effectively counter western media influence on our young generation.”