LAHORE: Pakistan’s largest web portal was launched under a public-private partnership to promote a soft image of the country at a graceful ceremony at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa was the chief guest while Pakistan People’s Party Information Secretary Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Imaging Pakistan CEO Shahbaz Taseer, Shehrbano Taseer, members of national and provincial assembly and prominent figures from all walks of the life were present at the ceremony.
The newly launched website www.heartofasia.pk is the brainchild of late Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, who had a dream to project a true image of Pakistan.Speaking on the occasion, Governor Khosa said that life in Pakistan was full of colours and all types of positive activities, but unfortunately we could not bring forward this positive image of the country. He said therefore the government decided that the best strategy to brand Pakistan positively was to start a project to promote a soft image of the country through web-based information. “I complement my predecessor Shaheed Salmaan Taseer who not only gave this idea but himself started working on this project,” the governor said. He said that now if any foreign investor, student, overseas Pakistani or anyone else wanted to know about Pakistan, this web portal will provide him with the required credible information.
He also praised Shahbaz Taseer and his young team for doing this remarkable job in establishing a platform to project the true face of the country before the comity of nations with dignity and pride.Speaking on the occasion, Kaira said Pakistan was playing an important role in the war on terror, however, the country was a victim of terrorism and extremism and the negative and narrow-minded image of the country was being promoted at the international level. Kaira said that late governor Taseer was highly sensitised on this issue. He shared his idea with him regarding the launch of the web portal to project the true image of our homeland. Kaira said that on the sad day of Taseer’s assassination, Taseer had a meeting with him at his Islamabad resident, and discussed this project in detail. Kaira said that after the tragic death of Taseer, the young team, which had been hired by Taseer himself for this project, briefed them about the project and Taseer’s family also wanted this project’s implementation in the best interests of the nation.
He said that this project was not a project of any political party or organisation, rather it was a collective work and it direly needed private ownership, therefore, he invited the business community and other segments of society to come forward and contribute for the success of this project.Khosa said that Pakistan was suffering due to a certain type of mindset and in order to defeat that mindset, every individual had to contribute a share for the portal’s success. Federal Information Minister Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan’s video message was also shown on this occasion in which she emphasised on the need to work on the projection of the national image.Earlier, Shahbaz Taseer said that the founder of this project was his father Salmaan Taseer, who dreamt of a progressive and liberal Pakistan, and now a journey towards his dream had been initiated.Sheharbano Taseer said that ‘Imaging Pakistan’ was a brainchild of her father. She said that this web portal was a tribute to his vision because he was enthusiastic for this campaign for our country. – Dailytimes
