Spreading Peace, Hope and Joy in Karachi - SAMAA LIVE should be an Annual Event Across All Over Pakistan - Raza Haroon, IT Minister, Sindh, Pakistan

Karachi, April 25- Today, the SAMAA “LIVE” Festival took off with a grand opening at the Pakistan Air Force Museum in Karachi. The event was inaugurated by Mr. Raza Haroon, IT Minister of Sindh under the presence of Executive Management members and families of SAMAA TV, one of the leading Urdu news channels of Pakistan.

The SAMAA Festival is a two-day event being launched by SAMAA TV under the banner of its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme through which SAMAA TV is reaching out to all segments of society and educating them on issues related to Health, Education, Environment and the Social issues prevailing in Pakistan. More than 200,000 are expected to visit the festival, which is being launched under the theme of “Celebrating Life”.

Mr. Raza Haroon, IT Minister of Sindh commended SAMAA TV for taking a lead in the media industry and play a responsible role in creating awareness on issues, which have a vast impact on the quality of life for the individual citizen of Pakistan. Mr. Raza Haroon said that “the media, is the most recognizable and channel of information dissemination, and such activities will help public understand CSR and also put the highlighted issues on the public agenda, impact the performance of businesses and therefore help to materialize the goal of CSR, namely contributing to social development as a socially conscious corporate entity”.

He appreciated SAMAA TV for being the only media channel in Pakistan, which has shown its social commitment by implementing initiatives, which are for the well-being of its people such as its own Scholarship Programme for students who have the merit but lack the financial resources to complete their education. He also said that “SAMAA TV has further marked its commitment by establishing a Polio Control Cell, which aimed at reaching out to the missed children in the national polio campaign. Through this initiative, the Government of Pakistan in joint collaboration with SAMAA reached out to more than 21,000 children in need of vaccination against the polio virus and saved the lives and future of many more families”.

Concluding his speech, he encouraged other media channels to follow SAMAA TV’s vision and assured that the Government would support such public-private partnerships to achieve the goal of a progressive Pakistan.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Jonathan Mark, Director Sales said that “The SAMAA Festival is one of its kind, as in today’s world, which is mainly dominated by consumerism, corporate social responsibility is now taking high priority position on the global corporate agenda. The relations between business, state and society are changing and media is envisioned as the main driver and an inseparable player in building the capacity of business and government to deliver better results to the sustainable development of society”. J. Tatti further thanked the various organizations, who have come forward and joined hands for this noble cause and shared that this festival theme, “Celebrate Life” should continue to live on and would now be planned for other main cities of Pakistan.

Mr. Server Moosavee, Advisor to Chairman of SAMAA concluded the ceremony by thanking the Minister of I.T. Sindh, the City Government of Karachi and all of the participating organizations for their support and said that “This festival is one of SAMAA TV’s contribution and support to its communities and viewers in telling them to think positive and face the prevailing challenges in our country. We are hoping that this will enable our people to reach out to create a model society and be the change of agents for themselves and our future generations”. Mr. Moosavee shared that since SAMAA’s launch, which took place in December 2007; SAMAA has come very far in a very short span of time and has contributed to many firsts of its kind initiatives. He shared that SAMAA believes in the power of its communities and has also dedicated a portal for citizen journalism on its website under name of I-SAMAA as well as a user community of all SAMAA Programmes. He also shared that SAMAA is the first media channel in Pakistan to launch its website for visually impaired people and concluded by encouraging all to celebrate life with responsibility and care for vulnerable communities.

The SAMAA Festival has a participation of different companies across the board -from national to multinational, government to non government organizations, banks and financial institutions, telecom and handset providers, cable and ISPs etc. who through this platform are able to present, sell and show their solidarity with this noble campaign.

SAMAA TV is one of Pakistan’s leading private satellite channels, which takes pride in its fair, factual and independent news coverage through its on-the-hour bulletins, breaking stories, incisive political analysis and current affairs programs. The channel has also made a niche for itself through its programs on women and youth issues besides infotainment. SAMAA TV, launched in December 2007 is the only Pakistani news channel, which is run as a corporate company rather than as a family owned business.