Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a video meeting with renowned writers across the country, urged them to promote family values and national identity through their writings and dramas. Writers who were part of the meeting included Hasina Moin, Amjad Islam Amjad, Bee Gul, Fasih Bari Khan, Zafar Meraj, Zanzbeel Asim Shah, Amna Mufti, Saima Ikram Chaudhry and Jahanzeb Qamar.
According to APP, the prime minister assured the government’s support for the promotion of national culture and identity. In the meeting, PM Khan discussed the importance of highlighting national culture and identity and said that the education and training of the youth had been jeopardized by modern communication tools, internet, easy access to objectionable content and onslaught of alien culture and traditions.
The PM asserted that foreign content – such a Bollywood – is putting our history, culture and social values in danger and reducing the youth’s knowledge about Islamic personalities, sagas and national history.
PM Imran also said that the government was aiming to revamp and digitalise Pakistan Television (PTV) and revive its previous glory.
Fasih Bari Khan, and other writers present on the occasion, speaking to a private media outlet, said that PM Khan had highlighted that the whole society was in a state of moral decay and that the country was leading in child pornography. PM Khan attributed rising divorce rates to the moral degradation of society and the influence of Western cultures. He expressed his distress at the rising divorce cases in society and spoke at length on the topic. He urged playwrights to help the new generation in moral training and character building.
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PM Khan also expressed his desire for an Ertuğrul -type drama to be produced in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, when Bee Gul disagreed with PM Khan’s point of view and said that while divorce should be discouraged, it should not be stigmatised as it puts stress on the woman, her mic was switched off and PM Khan said that divorce has a negative effect on children and the family structure.
The writers hoped that this meeting would bear fruit and would bring positive changes, because more often than not, they are pressurised into writing a certain type of story by private channels.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Lt Gen (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa were also part of the meeting.
