PESHAWAR, Sept 4: Areas surrounding the over 2,000-kilometre-long stretch of Pakistan-Afghanistan border are set to undergo mushroom growth of electronic media because of renewed interest in the region in the wake of war on terrorism.
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and regions across the border inside Afghanistan have attracted investment for the installation of several number of television and radio broadcast houses.
According to official sources, some 17 radio stations set up in areas close to Pakistan inside Afghanistan have started their broadcast.
Whereas, the Pakistan government has launched a plan in Fata to set up a chain of television and radio rebroadcast stations in the tribal region as part of its policy on terrorism.
The plan has been envisaged with a view to counter the propaganda by extremist elements and shore up tribal support for its policy to wipe out terrorism from the region, an official said.
The sources said that installation of four radio stations and three PTV rebroadcasting stations would help the government to mitigate propaganda unleashed by the extremist elements in the region.
Governor's Secretariat (Fata) Director-General Shah Zaman said that the government was establishing electronic media network in the Fata, particularly in the Waziristan region to counter the propaganda campaign of the miscreants.
He said that electronic media could be effective to break the propaganda network of the militants and create awareness among the local people.
The sources said that the USAID was also providing financial and technical assistance for the small frequency radio stations in the tribal region. However, an official of the USAID in Islamabad denied the agency was involved in the installation of radio stations in the tribal areas.
The insurgency-like situation in the South Waziristan Agency and the influence of the extremists has prompted the government to set up radio stations and to extend state-run electronic media transmissions into the region along the Afghan border.
In the current scenario, North and South Waziristan agencies have become a hub of the Jehadi propaganda activities. Shops and markets are littered with video compact discs, audio tapes and pamphlets, containing Jehadi material, showing militants in action and human rights violation at the hands of the security forces. Propaganda material is produced at clandestine locations.
In other tribal agencies like Orakzai, Bajaur, Khyber and Mohmand, religio-political parties and sectarian organisations have set up frequency module radio stations, disseminating information about Jehad.
The director-general said that the Governor's Secretariat (Fata) had received 'special funds' and equipments from different donors for the establishment of three radio stations and one repeater in the South and North Waziristan regions.
The radio stations in Wana and Miramshah have already started broadcasts. Under the plan, another radio station is being set up in Razmak, North Waziristan, while a repeater will be set up in Sarwaki, South Waziristan. Plan is also under consideration to set up a community radio station in Parachinar, according to a source.
Apart from this, the Pakistan Television is also setting up three rebroadcasting stations in Mohmand, Orakzai and South Waziristan agencies during the current annual development programme.
Public Relations Controller PTV (headquarters) Ali Akbar Abbas told Dawn that Rs60 million had been allocated for the purpose and after installation of three rebroadcasting stations, PTV programmes would be received in 800 square-kilometre radius.
He said that the rebroadcasting station in Wana was likely to be commissioned by the end of October while installation of two other stations would also be started soon.
The remaining two stations would be set up in Mohmand and Orakzai agencies for which machinery had been acquired, he said.
Interestingly, the radio station in Wana is broadcasting its programmes in the Waziri and Mehsud dialects for the benefit of the people of the two tribes inhibiting the area.
Faqir Hussain Sahir, who is looking after the radio station installation project, said that Radio Pakistan, Wana, was receiving positive response from the local listeners.
"It will promote local dialects and create awareness among the people about local issues," he said.
Previously, all radio programmes in Pushto were used to be written and relayed only in Yousafzai and Kandahari dialects.
Henceforth, Mr Sahir said, the people were being trained to produce programmes and packages for the local radio stations in the local dialects.
