The minister was addressing the inaugural session of a 3-day Consultative Conference on Press Officers organized by External Publicity Wing of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
"Pakistan by all means is a progressive, modern, and a developing country. It is full of opportunities, strategically located and a heaven for tourists. There is a burgeoning middle class and enterprising people. With all these characteristics, the perception of Pakistan should not have been the one which is being portrayed", she said.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the officers are entrusted with a huge task of `perception management' of the country abroad in the most difficult situations especially when the international media selectively portrays the negative aspects of governance without balancing out with scores of initiatives of the government which have brought about paradigm shift in the governance of the country.
She said there are a number of sectors in the country for which foreign investors could be attracted through projecting prudent economic policies introduced by the government. "Pakistan has vast investment opportunities in many sectors."
The minister said press officers, who are working under strenuous conditions with meager resources, are proving to be eyes and ears of the government in different parts of the world.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the vacant posts of press officers abroad have been filled and all the working officers would be financially empowered so they could perform their duties in a more effective manner.
She said media is an effective source to understand sentiments of people and their changing interests, preferences, liking, disliking besides acting as an engine for change in a number of countries.
The minister said with this unrestricted freedom of the conventional and social media, the job of the ministry, especially of the press officers abroad has become even more challenging.
Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said Pakistan is perhaps is the only country where government has allowed the media to operate freely and independently.
The minister said the existing rules and regulations which are meant to streamline the media have added to the freedom and liberty of the media in the country.
She said the government has provided a conducive environment to media in the country as it firmly believes in freedom of expression.
Counting the achievements, she said the government has worked for the independent media, judiciary, women empowerment, pro-Minorities legislation and taken steps to counter the menaces of extremism and terrorism.
To a question she said China has offered a training programme for Pakistani journalists for which negotiations are underway. Besides, the ministry is considering to sent Pakistani journalists to Iran under a similar training programme.
The minister said the government has a plan to set up a media university to improve skills of working journalists, expressing the hope that funds would be allocated for the purpose in current quarter.
Additional Secretary Mubashra Nighat Bajwa in her welcome address hoped that conference will provide a platform to find out weakness and formulate a way forward for promoting the progressive, peace-loving and soft image of the country abroad, countering the elements portraying it otherwise.