KARACHI, July 13: Federal information minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed said on Tuesday that Pakistani forces were not being sent to Iraq.

"It is an honour for Pakistan that its ambassador to US Ashraf Jahangir Qazi has been nominated as special envoy to UN in Iraq" , the minister said while talking to newsmen at the 18th excellence award ceremony of the Pakistan Advertising Association at a local hotel.

He said the selection of Pakistani ambassador as special UN envoy to Iraq was being appreciated by all friendly nations. He said operation in Wana tribal area would continue. The government, he said, had also taken some political steps and was expecting some positive change in the situation.

Shaikh Rashid said the country was making progress and heading toward a right direction. The minister said that the parliament was functioning well and there was a democracy in the country.

Shaikh Rashid, referring to election of Shaukat Aziz as the next prime minister, said the change, which was going to take place at the federal level, would be a long-term and a durable one.

"A strong economy not only contributes to better employment opportunities for the people, but also leads to an independent foreign policy and a strong defence", he said.

About any changes in the province, he said that the changes have already taken place and there would be no more changes now. Earlier, addressing the ceremony, he spoke of the challenges facing the country, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda, etc.

The minister said misunderstandings would be removed and conducive relations between government and media organizations established. He also felicitated the award-winning agencies and said that future of advertising agencies in Pakistan was bright and the next fiscal year would prove to be a historic one for the advertising sector.

The minister also pointed out that new companies are also contemplating bigger expenditure on their publicity. Referring to a demand made about tax on the advertising sector, Shaikh Rashid assured that the matter would be addressed soon.

He said the government had awarded licenses for 24 television channels in 21 cities while seven channels were sanctioned earlier. The minister said that it was his firm conviction that there was no dearth of talent in the country.

Shaikh Rashid said time is approaching when significance of government advertisements would decline. S.H. Hashmi, patron-in-chief of PAA and Mehmood Parekh, chairman of the 18th Excellence Award-2004, also spoke. Later, Sheikh Rashid gave away excellence awards among winning advertising agencies. -PPI/APP