Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Managing Director of Pakistan Television Corporation Ashfaq Ahmad Khalil has stressed the need to expand media cooperation between Pakistan Television (PTV) and China Media Group (CMG), including the production of joint documentaries, to bring the people of the two countries closer. Speaking on CGTN Urdu’s programme “Top View,” he described the 75-year friendship between Pakistan and China as a model relationship for the world, with both state-run and private media playing an important role in strengthening it. He said the memoranda of understanding and close institutional links between the two countries should be translated into practical cooperation through joint initiatives in various fields, a point reported in a press release issued by CMG on Friday.
Khalil highlighted the media’s role in promoting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying print, electronic, and digital media had made significant contributions to informing the public about the importance, progress, and benefits of the flagship project. He argued that coordinated cooperation between PTV and CMG could make strategic communication more effective and promote mutual understanding. The call builds on existing work, since PTV and Shaanxi Zhongshan Culture Media signed a second five-year documentary cooperation agreement on September 3, with joint productions planned around China-Pakistan friendship, Silk Road civilizations, and regional connectivity. A new CMG arrangement would add the broadcaster that runs CGTN, the channel that carried the interview, to that list of partners.
On digital media, Khalil said the timely provision of authentic information, the identification of fake news, and the prevention of misinformation had become increasingly important. He said the Digital Communication Department of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was playing a significant role in countering false and misleading information and ensuring accurate facts reach the public. The same theme came up in September when Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar briefed a visiting political leader on the department’s work, stressing that countering fabricated news against Pakistan remains an important responsibility. The secretary’s remarks suggest the government sees media cooperation with China not only as cultural exchange but also as a way to share approaches on handling disinformation in a digital environment.
Khalil also spoke about cultural ties, saying exchanges of cultural heritage and traditions could help bring the people of the two countries closer. He referred to the minister’s proposal to invite Chinese social media influencers to Pakistan so they can become familiar with its culture, language, and cuisine, adding that such exchanges could promote cultural awareness, mutual understanding, and closer people-to-people contacts. Pakistan-China relations, he said, are founded on mutual trust and cooperation, with China having supported Pakistan during difficult times and Pakistan having supported China diplomatically. The comments were general and did not announce any signed agreement, production schedule, or budget for the proposed documentaries, so the practical outcome will depend on whether PTV and CMG move from calls for cooperation to a formal agreement with named projects and timelines.
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