Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Fides Service) – Radio Veritas in Urdu (the official language in Pakistan) has become a reference point for Catholic media in this country. The programmes are appreciated by Christians and Muslims alike and the Radio has the full support of the Catholic Bishops in Pakistan. This emerged during the recent annual meeting for Radio Veritas directors and staff chaired by Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha, Archbishop of Lahore and president of the Pakistani Bishops commission for Social Communications.
In his annual report Father John Nadeen Shakir head of Urdu programmes said that in the last six months Radio Veritas produced and broadcast 700 programmes, on the air from 6.30am to 7.30pm, on a wide variety of subjects: social problems, news, information, morals, religion, literature, striving always to fulfil its mission to spread the Gospel message of peace and so build a culture of peace.
The Radio also produced much appreciated programmes for special recurrences such as Pakistan’s national Independence Day, the Muslim feast of Id-Al-Fitr and Christmas. In fact the Urdu Programme receives regular flow of letters, fax and e-mail message of thanks and appreciation.
New ideas for the future include programmes to address specific subjects which interest women and which foster and promote Christian/Muslim dialogue. There are also plans to improve structures and technology to provide an ever better service and an exchange of views with other private Radio stations in Pakistan for mutual enrichment and collaboration among media workers.
At the end of the meeting Archbishop Saldanha encouraged and thanked those working for or with Radio Veritas. “All of you who work at Radio Veritas are authentic missionaries, because you dedicate your time to spreading the Good News ”. (PA) (Fides Service 29/1/2004 lines 33 words 333)
