Press Club of Shimla organised a programme ‘Samman Samaroh’ for honouring the Members of Lahore Press Club, Pakistan and Chandigarh Press Club. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was Chief Guest on the occasion. 32 members of Lahore Press Club and 13 members of Chandigarh Press Club reached Shimla today.
Chief Minister welcomed the members of Lahore Press Club for visiting Himachal Pradesh. He said that such occasions provide platform for strengthening cordial relations besides mutual understanding. Virbhadra Singh honoured the members of Lahore and Chandigarh Press Clubs.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that India was a peace loving nation and always endeavoured to build cordial relations with its neighbouring countries. He said that India always wished that its neighbours should flourish for the cause of their nations which would go a long way in strengthening the bonds of fraternity. He said that both the countries should ignore petty incidents occurring along the international borders and should not propel the incidents which lead to tension and affects the relations. He said that both the countries want peace to be established as there was no barrier of language, culture and custom between the people of two countries. Virbhadra Singh people of both the nations want peace and relations to be strengthened.
Chief Minister said that media can play an important role in strengthening the relations between India and Pakistan so that the coming generations could shred the feeling of insecurity. He said that to build stronger relations both the countries should involve themselves in trade and other constructive activities. He said that the people of India particularly Himachal Pradesh had strong bonds with the people of Pakistan as many of them got their education from Lahore which was considered a premier education centre during pre-partition era.
Chief Minister also honoured the Presidents of Press Club Lahore (Pakistan) and Chandigarh on the occasion.
Both the Lahore and Chandigarh Press Clubs honoured Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, Mukesh Agnihotri, Industries and Information and Public Relations Minister, C.D. Thakur, Director, Information and Public Relations with memento and shawl.
Arshad Ansari, President, Lahore Press Club stressed for cordial relations between India and Pakistan and said that as there was lot of similarity between both the countries and the people as well, he promised that Pakistan media would certainly strive for developing a positive image of both the nations. Sukhbir Singh Bajwa, President, Press Club Chandigarh also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, Gian Thakur, President, Press Club Shimla welcomed the Chief Minister and members of Lahore and Chandigarh Press Clubs.
Mukesh Agnihotri, Industries and Information and Public Relations Minister, V.C. Pharka, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Narinder Chauhan, Principal Secretary, PWD, Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Sukhbir Singh Bajwa, President, Chandigarh Press Club, Senior officers of State Government and members of Press Club of Shimla were present on the occasion.
