PPF Journalism Training Workshop, Okara | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

PPF Journalism Training Workshop, Okara

Date: February 23 – 25, 2004
Location: Okara

Okara is a city of about 800,000 inhabitants. Due to vicinity of Lahore, Okara has an imprint of urban habitat. It is an agricultural town known for its fruit farms. The most famous of these is Mitchelle Fruit Farm at nearby Renala Khurd. Irrespective of its size, Okara has political representation in Punjab and Federal government. Rao Sikandar, Federal defence minister, belongs to Okara.

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organized a 3-day Journalism Training Workshop at Union Council Library, Okara, from February 23 – 25, 2004.

There were 30 participants. 14 were men, mostly journalists, and 16 were lady teachers, social workers, councillors and students. Both genders took keen interest in workshop and demonstrated good knowledge of social, political and economic issues facing their community.

Trainers for the workshop were Mr. Fazal Qureshi, Chief Editor, Pakistan Press International (PPI) and Mr. Zia Ahmed Khan, PPI correspondent in Okara.

Workshop teaching lectures covered topics
of news, news – writing principles, concept of inverted pyramid and rule of five Ws and an H. Each lecture was followed by practical exercises and an open exchange of discussion covering a wide range of subjects related to journalism and freedom of press.

The art of writing letters to the editor, articles and features was also taught in the workshop. At the end of each day, participants were given assignments.

The closing session was presided over by Mr. Zafar Abbas Bukhari, District Police Officer, who was a journalist before joining police service. In his brief speech, Mr. Bukhari praised local journalists for their responsible conduct. He highlighted importance of local journalists projecting local problems, in social, economic and other fields, in newspapers.

Mr. Bukhari urged women to come forward and express their viewpoint in newspapers. He praised PPF for organizing workshop. He anticipated more such workshops to be held in future. He distributed certificates among the participants.

List of Participants
Name
Designation
Organization
Mrs. Riffat Chudhry Anjuman-e-Behbood-e-Khawateen
Salma Shafiq
18 Grade Officer
Mah Jabeen Anjuman-e-Behbood-e-Khawateen
Munir Choudhary
Chairman
Okara Press Club
Zia Ahmed Khan
Correspondent
Pakistan Press International
Fozia Akhter
Freelance Writer
Dr. Nageena Ramzan
Custodian
Welfare Society Mandi Bahauddin
Farah Jabeen
General Secretary
Child Rights Committee
Shaheen Munawar
Lady General Councillor
Bashir Ahmed
Bureau Chief
Daily Asas Mohammad Sarwar Mujahid
Correspondent
Nawa-i-Waqt
Zulfiqar Malik
District Reporter
Daily Insaaf
Zulfiqar Ali
Bureau Chief
Daily Pakistan
Shahbaz Sajid
Staff Reporter
Daily Times
Malik Safdar Abbass
Correspondent
Nawa-i-Zindagi
Abdul Waheed
Correspondent
Daily Express
Rao Fazalur Rehman
Correspondent
The News
Khurshid Jeelani
Information Department
Ch. Mohammad Maqsood Ahmed
Bureau Chief
Daily Jeway Pakistan
Tariq Khan
Bureau Chief
Daily Sahafat
Shama Saeed
Mrs. Birket Mirza
` Munawar Zaheer
Amina Zaheer
Fareeha Samreen
Rabia Tahir
Mrs. Shahnaz Maqsood
Saira Tariq
Farkhanda Jabeen
Mukhtar Begum
Safdar Hussain