A Pakistani delegation of journalists visited the Report Information Agency to monitor the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. We present an interview with Ansar Bhatti , Editor-in-Chief of Diplomatic News Agency and Centreline :
– Welcome to Azerbaijan. What is the main purpose of your visit?
– Thank you. This is my fifth visit to Azerbaijan. I first came to Azerbaijan in 2011 to cover the Baku Humanitarian Forum. Since then, I have had visits at different times. The main purpose of our current visit is to monitor and cover the February 9 parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. Based on our observations, I can say that the pre-election process is at a very high level and everything is well organized.
We also feel the interest of people in the election and their support for the government. In addition, young people are feeling particularly active in these elections. The majority of the candidates are young people and we can see their tendency to become more active in the election process. In general, the processes that take place in Azerbaijan as an agency,
Q: How do people in Pakistan get the most information? There is a tendency around the world that the written press gives its place to electronic media. What is your situation?
– Pakistan is one of the most populous countries. Pakistan, with a population of 200 million, has more than 3,000 media organizations. That is why people are able to access information in a variety of ways. The trend of electronic media is also being felt in Pakistan. But people still prefer and read newspapers. In Pakistan, the newspaper is considered a reliable source of information.
– How is your agency’s relations with foreign countries established? For example, where do you get the news about Azerbaijan?
– The Diplomatic News Agency, which I am the head of, covers more diplomatic and foreign policy news. We prefer to communicate with foreign media outlets in line with our activities.
We also receive information through the embassies, since our activities are mainly in the diplomatic field. We also get more news about your country through the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Pakistan.
They regularly publish information for the media. In addition, we cooperate with media organizations such as Report, AZERTAC, Trend, and Azernews, the main news agencies in Azerbaijan, and constantly monitor and use the news they publish.
Because of our direct contacts during this visit, We will continue to work closely with Report. This cooperation will have a positive impact on the exchange of information and the more accurate and operative access to news in both countries.
Q: What do you prefer about foreign countries?
Answer: Our main area of expertise is the diplomatic field and we are the only agency specializing in this field in Pakistan. More than anything else, diplomatic news is being published. In addition, we prefer political news. We also cover sports news related to foreign countries.
Because there is a great interest in sports in Pakistan. Although we are allocating space to other areas, the areas I have mentioned are priority.
– What are your impressions about Azerbaijan?
– Azerbaijan is a beautiful country. There is a high level of bilateral relations between our countries and mutual love between the peoples. We feel it very clearly here. Good luck to the people and government of Azerbaijan!