Session at SBBWU: Public awareness stressed against fake news

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a session hosted at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University SBBWU on Wednesday urged the students to become ambassadors of truth in this era of mistrust and propaganda and raise public awareness against the fake news.

The interactive session was arranged on the issue of enforced disappearances. Collaboration was struck with the Pakistan Development Foundation (PDF) and the think-tank Forum for Inquiry, Knowledge and Review (FIKR).

A press release said PDF Chairman Muhammad Bilal Sethi delivered the keynote address while Dr Sameera Gul of SBBWU spoke on the occasion as well.Director of Women Development Centre, Sobia Karamat Khan Chagharmati, Dr Toheed, Mrs. Farhana and students were present on the occasion.

Bilal Sethi said that the issue of enforced disappearances was a bitter reality but unfortunately, some people had exaggerated the issue and created misconceptions in innocent minds.He said the Commission of Inquiry for Enforced Disappearances registered 9,294 cases, out of which 7,038 were resolved while 2256 were pending.

The PDF chief said it was a global problem while internal and international elements, for their own interest, greatly exaggerated the cases of missing persons to incite hatred between the state and the people.

He said that the trend of spreading fake news was on the rise in Pakistan. “Lies are told so clearly and with expertise that innocent people believe them to be true,” he pointed out.Bilal Sethi invited the SBBWU students to become truth ambassadors in this era of mistrust and propaganda and raise public awareness against fake news.The students evinced interest in becoming the truth ambassadors and registered their names with the PDF.