MUZAFFARABAD-(Arqam Maqbool)-Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Minister for Information, Auqaf and Religious Affairs Chaudhry Muhammad Rafiq Nayyar has stressed upon students to make positive use of modern technology and social media and benefit from them constructively.
“Students are the bright future of the country and the nation, and that the responsible and positive use of the modern educational, technical and digital facilities available to them today is essential not only for their personal development but also for the betterment of society,” he said, while speaking as the chief guest at a special awareness workshop on media literacy and social media in Muzaffarabad on Thursday.
Organised by the Pakistan Information Department (PID) Islamabad at a private hotel, the workshop was attended by students and media persons, as well as people from various walks of life.
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The AJK Information Minister pointed out that in the past, students had to pursue their education with limited resources, whereas in the present era technology had made access to knowledge much easier.
He recalled that he obtained his law degree from Punjab University in 1983, at a time when there was neither the internet nor facilities such as social media, yet students progressed through hard work and discipline.
Referring to a painful incident from his personal life, he said that when he was a student at Mirpur College, in 1977, he received the news of his sister’s death on the fourth day of its occurrence, as at that time there was no concept of the kind of advanced communication media that exists today.
“In this fast-paced era of social media, the media has become extremely rapid, and a piece of news can spread across the world within moments. In such circumstances, the importance of media literacy has increased more than ever so that young people can distinguish between correct and incorrect information,” he maintained.
He was of the view that irresponsible use of social media could prove harmful for individuals as well as for society as a whole. He urged students to use technology for constructive purposes, education, research and positive expression.
The AJK Information Minister also urged young people to remember the hard work and sacrifices of their parents, live up to their expectations and bring them pride through their character and conduct.
“I repeat, discipline, punctuality and adherence to moral values are essential for success in life and only a well-informed and upright young generation can lay the foundation of a strong and developed society,” he said.
Earlier, PID Islamabad’s assistant director (admin) Mujtaba Ahmed, University of AJK’s Dr Mubashar Naqvi, AJK PID’s Raja Nasir Latif and others also addressed the workshop.
At the conclusion of the workshop, Mr Nayyar distributed certificates among the participants.
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