ISLAMABAD, During the launch of Pakistan Television News’ new Climate Change Desk, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi called for a “whole of society” approach to address the growing challenge of climate change.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the minister underscored the importance of engaging a wide array of societal elements, from community leaders and religious figures to artists and parents, in combating climate change. He emphasized the role of both private media and state-owned Radio Pakistan in raising public awareness about the issue.

Solangi highlighted the essential collaboration between the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Climate Change to enhance societal awareness of climate change’s hazardous impacts. He encouraged media outlets to prioritize climate awareness in their programming and bulletins and suggested that the Information Services Academy offer training to climate reporters. The minister also praised PTV News for its initiative in establishing the first-ever dedicated Climate Change Desk in a Pakistani news channel.

Addressing the topic of the upcoming general elections, Solangi asserted that the caretaker government has no favorites, affirming the people’s right to choose their representatives. He called on media, including PTV, to ensure equal coverage for all registered political parties.

During the ceremony, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Zahoor Ahmad spoke about the specialized nature of climate and disaster reporting, committing to provide training for reporters in this area. He emphasized the importance of preparedness for climate-related disasters.

Aoun Abbas Sahi, Director of Current Affairs at PTV, informed that the new desk would operate continuously to highlight Pakistan’s stance on climate change, translating scientific discourse into accessible journalistic content.

Finally, Secretary Climate Change Asif Hyder Shah called for increased media involvement in tackling climate change and offered support from climate change experts to aid the new desk.