Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President and former Punjab chief minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on Friday visited the Digital Communication Department (DCD) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and reviewed its ongoing digital communication initiatives. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Secretary Information Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil, and senior officials of the ministry received Hamza Shahbaz on his arrival, with Tarar giving him a detailed briefing on the DCD’s various sections, scope of work, and functions, including its use of digital technology and social media platforms for public communication. Hamza Shahbaz took a keen interest in the department’s activities during the visit and appreciated the Ministry of Information’s efforts to strengthen digital communication as a channel for reaching the public.
During the visit, Hamza Shahbaz said digital media had become an important means of providing timely information to the public and effectively highlighting government initiatives, adding that the effective use of digital platforms could help project Pakistan’s positive image and national narrative to audiences around the world. Tarar echoed similar points, saying digital media had become an effective means of disseminating information and maintaining communication with the public in the present era, while stressing that countering negative propaganda and fabricated news against Pakistan remains an important responsibility of the DCD. He said the department, along with PTV Digital, was playing an important role in achieving these communication objectives, positioning the two entities as central to the government’s broader digital outreach strategy.
The meeting also touched on ways to strengthen public outreach and communication through digital technology, social media, and other platforms, with participants discussing measures to further expand the digital reach of content through PTV Digital specifically. Hamza Shahbaz was briefed on various initiatives being undertaken in the digital communication sector and the use of modern technologies to enhance public outreach, though the specific initiatives discussed were not detailed beyond general references to expanding digital reach and countering negative narratives online. The visit brought together a notable group of officials, with Federal Minister Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Minister of State Abdul Rehman Kanju, Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator Badar Shahbaz Waraich, and Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Talha Burki also present alongside the core group led by Tarar and Hamza Shahbaz.
The visit adds to a series of engagements Hamza Shahbaz has undertaken since stepping into his role as PML-N Vice President, with the DCD tour framed as part of continued government efforts to modernize how state communication reaches the public through digital channels. While the discussion remained largely at the level of broad strategic priorities rather than specific technical announcements, the emphasis placed on countering “fabricated news” and highlighting government initiatives through digital platforms reflects the political dimension underlying much of the government’s approach to digital communication policy. Whether this visit translates into concrete new initiatives from the DCD or PTV Digital, or whether it functions primarily as a photo opportunity underscoring the government’s digital communication priorities, will likely become clearer as the department’s activities continue to be reported on in the coming months.
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