Pics by Rons Bantwal
Mumbai, May 22 (PTI): A 14-member media delegation from Pakistan arrived here for a week-long study trip to Mumbai and Pune. The delegation, comprising members of the Karachi and Hyderabad (Sind) press clubs, were given a traditional Maharashtrian welcome with ‘aartis’ and the blowing of ‘tutaris’.
The delegation that arrived on a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Karachi were received by representatives of the Mumbai Press Club at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.
Today's event is a reciprocal event which followed the visit of a delegation of Mumbai journalists to Pakistan last year.
The delegates comprise journalists from leading newspapers and television channels of Pakistan including Dawn, The News, Jang, Geo TV, ARY News, Express TV etc. Most of them are first-time visitors to India.
Karachi Press Club president Tahir Hasan Khan, who led the delegation, warmed up to the occasion and hoped that such exchanges would result in improved people-to-people contact between the two countries. “We are extremely happy to be in India. I am sure this joint endeavour by Karachi and Mumbai press clubs will lead to improving the relationships between India and Pakistan and more importantly, strengthening people-to-people contact between the neighbours,” Khan said.
“The purpose of the visit is to promote a philosophy of understanding and tolerance between the two countries by increasing and improving the quality of media content when reporting on each other's country and bilateral issues.
“This is expected to give a boost to the peace process between the two countries,” Gurbir Singh, President, The Press Club, Mumbai, said.
The visitors are scheduled to interact with leaders of various political parties, industry leaders, journalists, social activists and the common people.
Among those they are to meet include Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and RR Patil, Home Minister. They are also to visit the Bombay Stock Exchange apart from the offices of local newspapers and television channels.