All India Radio on Friday announced the launch of a multi-media and mobile app for Balochi-speaking people in the Af-Pak region and other parts of the world.
Prasar Bharati Chairperson A. Surya Prakash, who launched the services said the move was part of India’s efforts to reach out to the neighbourhood for a better people-to-people contact. While officials denied any connect between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Independence Day wherein he had raised the issue of Pakistani atrocities on the people of Balochistan, the service, they clarified was part of ongoing process to engage with neighbours.
India had also raised the issue of atrocities in Balochistan at the meeting of a U.N. body earlier this week. Prasar Bharati officials said the mobile app and the webpage were just “value addition” as Balochi service of the AIR has been in existence since 1974.
“As the world’s largest democracy, we have the responsibility to disseminate news and information across the world,” he said.
‘Cannot be blocked’Asked if the services could face obstruction in Pakistan, AIR DG F. Shehryar said the radio service was on the short-wave which cannot be blocked. Mr. Shehryar added that “while AIR does not aim at countering any kind of propaganda, it will challenge falsehoods by presenting the correct information.”
