Pakistani High Commissioner commends Daily Graphic for reach, authentic sensitisation

The Pakistani High Commissioner to Ghana, Farhat Ayesha, has commended the Daily Graphic for maintaining its dominance in the Ghanaian media landscape over the years.

She explained that the dominance by the flagship newspaper of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd aided the Pakistani Government to be able to reach a wider audience with the accurate information needed for the re-establishment of its high commission in Ghana on June 1, 2022.

She said that was after the commission was closed down for 20 years due to some challenges.

“So we came here in June last year and when I came, in order to spread the news about us, the first thing I needed was the media.

Initially, we asked some Pakistanis and Ghanaians whom we knew and the newspaper each of them mentioned to us was the Daily Graphic,” Ms Ayesha stated.

The Pakistani High Commissioner made this known when she called on the Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey, at his office.

Visit

The visit was to express gratitude to the management of the Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) for the support and discuss possible areas of collaboration.

She was accompanied by the Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Chancery, Noor Nabi Wattoo.

Present at the meeting were the News Editor, Samuel Doe Ablordeppey; the Foreign Editor, Mary Mensah, and the Photo Editor, Douglas Anane Frimpong.

Ms Ayesha recalled some of the areas the Daily Graphic came in handy as the publication of tender notices and advertisements on employment opportunities and other areas geared towards the reestablishment of the Mission in the country and other African countries.

“We needed to undertake many procedures of re-establishing our missions in Africa.

So Daily Graphic was our first port of call for the publication of our news items and other materials we wanted to be published,” she said.

She said having completed the foundation issues, the next stage was to expand its outreach activities.

“So that's why I’m here to meet you to first of all express my appreciation to you for your contribution to the establishment of our missions in Ghana,” Ms Ayesha stated.

The Pakistani High Commissioner minced no words in praising the paper for its quality content which had endeared it to the reading public both within and outside the country.

“Our contacts with the paper helped me to re-connect with the rest of Ghana and since then we have been dealing with the Daily Graphic,” she further pointed out.

Foreign policy

Turning her attention to the foreign policy of the Pakistani Government, Ms Ayesha indicated that Pakistan and Ghana had a very “strong and historic” relationship dating back to 1958, which led to the Pakistani High Commission in Ghana being established in 1964.

She said due to that strong relationship, Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, visited Pakistan in 1966.

“We established our Embassy here in 1964 and we sent the best diplomat as our high commissioner here and he has authored a book on Ghana and so he is our inspiration at the Mission,” Ms Ayesha further recalled.

She said a policy known as “Engage Africa” was introduced by the Pakistani Government in 2019 to increase that country’s focus on Africa, with one of the main objectives of the policy being the opening of five missions in Africa, out of which Ghana was selected.

Trade

Touching on trade, Ms Ayesha said Pakistan was one of the leading textile exporters to Ghana.

She said her country exported cotton, yarn and textile products and that Ghana was also one of the top two importers of rice and textile products from Pakistan.

The Pakistani High Commissioner added that one of her main objectives since assuming her duty tour last year was to promote economic relations between the two countries.

"Ghana is the second largest trading partner of Pakistan after Nigeria in West Africa," she disclosed. 

Response, capacity-building

Mr Yartey, in his response, welcomed the High Commissioner to the country and the mission, and said the Daily Graphic and her sister brands were prepared to work with her and the mission.

He also touched on areas the two could cooperate to include capacity-building in journalism and media practice, the exchange of notes and expertise, as well as logistical support.

Mr Yartey said the paper had been in business for 73 years because of its rigid adherence to core values and professional mantra inscribed on the paper’s masthead, “Truth and accuracy every day.”