APP’s global partnerships key to strengthen national narrative: Atta Tarar

ISLAMABAD, Feb 03 (APP): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has emphasized that the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) must leverage its agreements with international news agencies to bolster Pakistan’s soft image and strengthen the national narrative globally.
The minister issued these directives while presiding over a high-level meeting at APP to review its performance.
During the meeting, he received a comprehensive briefing on the agency’s core objectives, organizational structure, and professional mandates.
APP Managing Director Muhammad Asim Khichi briefed the minister about the organization’s current performance and digital strategy.
The meeting was also attended by Coordinator to the PM on Media Badar Shahbaz and Principal Information Officer Mobashir Hassan.
Key discussions centered on APP’s role in strategic narrative-building, expanding its digital footprint, and modernizing operations to meet international benchmarks.
The minister specifically called for the optimized use of social media to enhance digital outreach, with a primary focus on regional language content.
To ensure news reaches the grassroots level, Tarar directed APP to prioritize high-quality dissemination in Balochi, Brahui, Sindhi, Pashto, and Seraiki.
He noted that such inclusivity is vital for increasing public confidence and strengthening the state’s narrative.
The minister lauded MD APP Muhammad Asim Khichi’s efforts to curb corruption and instill transparency.
Reaffirming his full support for strict accountability, Tarar instructed the administration to closely monitor ongoing court proceedings regarding APP corruption cases and also directed the management to convene a Board of Directors meeting as a priority.