ISPR, Information Ministry to coordinate with media over COVID-19 situation

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Friday that the ministry of information, along with Director General Inter-services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar would show coordination on briefing the media about the coronavirus situation.

The SAPM stated during a joint press briefing with the DG ISPR in Islamabad about decisions taken by the Prime Minster during the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting earlier in the day.

She said that the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) would be the center ensuring timely and accurate information given to the media.

“Media can become the right hand of the information ministry and the ISPR in defeating this pandemic. Together we will ensure that accurate information is provided to the people.”

Meanwhile, in the press briefing DG ISPR also praised media’s role for the coverage of prevailing coronavirus situation in the country saying that media had done “objective reporting and made people aware”.

He added that the government needed the full cooperation of the media to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The DG ISPR also explained the purpose of NCOC saying that it had been formed to collect, analyse and collate data and information, draft recommendations and forward them to the National Coordination Committee (NCC) — which was being headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan — so that the political leadership could take decisions.