ISLAMABAD, April 11: Information minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday night formally launched seven new TV rebroadcast stations under the Shalimar Television Network (STN). The event also marked the upgradation of 12 existing STN transmitting stations.

Speaking briefly on the occasion the information minister said, with the expansion of the network, the electronic media would become a powerful organ to desiminate information as well as entertainment to the people in far flung areas of the country.

"The time will come soon when Pakistan will be among the leading countries in the field of electronic media because the government is striving to achieve the goal and the necessary incentives are being offered.

"The private sector channels have come in a big way and it has helped initiate a healthy competition in the field," the information minister said.

Earlier, Anwar Jahangir, the managing director and chief executive officer of the STN said the coverage of the network had been extended to almost half the population of the country by extending services even to the small towns of the country.

He said the coverage area of STN has expanded to cities and towns of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Shaikhupura, Kasur, Kamonki, Faisalabad, Chiniot, Multan, Shujabad, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Yazman, Daska, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Lalamusa, Chiwinda, Sahiwal, Okara, Pakpattan, Chichawatni, Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Kotri, Larkana, Mohinjodaro, Ghambat, Sukkur, Rohri, Khairpur, Sanghar, Pano Aaqil, Shikarpur, Quetta, Khuzdar, Kallat, Sibbi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsada, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Thandiani, Batkhela and Mingora.

He said this expansion of STN transmission coverage is in line with the government policy and the commitment of the federal minister for information and braodcasting and the secretary information and braodcasting Syed Anwar Mahmood.

He said the process of expansion of the television coverage would continue until it covers whole of the country to bring information, entertainment and education to the door steps of the masses even in the remote regions of the country. Mr Jehangir said one more re-broadcast station is also being set up shortly in Sindh which would help cover the remote areas of the province.