Private media kept away from ECO Summit for security reasons

The government's decision not to allow private media to cover the 13th Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) Summit visibly minimised the international exposure of the mega event. However, Foreign Office sources clarified that the decision not to issue accreditation cards to private media at the eleventh hour was due to security reasons on the advice of security agencies.
They said that earlier, it was decided that private media would be given access to the Summit for coverage and details were also sought from the beat reports of the Foreign Office for the coverage. But the accreditation cards were not issued to the private media at the eleventh hour after security agencies did not support the idea for security reasons and it was decided to allow only the state media to cover the mega event.
Talking to Business Recorder, Head of Communication Research Strategies (CRS) Aniq Zafar said that it was a mega event with respect to regional connectivity and co-operation, adding not inviting private media was not a wise decision. "I think not allowing the private media to cover the Summit has definitely affected the international exposure of the event. It was a great opportunity as a number of Heads of state and government were here [Islamabad] for the Summit and [if invited] the opportunity could have been utilised well by the private media", he said.
"Let me ask whether the Summit was a major event or the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is the mega event...our soft image is well promoted through events like the Summit which was attended by leadership of the member states," he stated, adding that at present the impression being given is that our soft image can be strengthened through the PSL but not through events like the ECO Summit. He added that the government should have given access to the private media in a planned strategic manner if open access was not possible, adding the private media could have been given an opportunity to conduct interviews with certain foreign dignitaries.