ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday proposed the creation of a unified media collaboration framework for the Developing-8 (D-8) bloc, calling for a joint working group of media ministries, shared fact-checking mechanisms, coordinated crisis-reporting training and common social media platforms to project collective narratives and counter disinformation, Islamophobia and extremist content.
The proposals were announced at the D-8 Media Forum, bringing together officials and media stakeholders from the eight Muslim-majority developing economies — Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Türkiye — to enhance cooperation in information strategy, digital governance and communication standards.
As Pakistan prepares to assume the D-8 secretary-generalship in January 2026, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar urged member countries to endorse a coordinated media roadmap to enhance collective resilience in an evolving global information landscape.
“We propose a joint working group of media ministries and media professionals, which should meet on a regular basis… that will enable us to share our experiences on a more frequent and regular basis,” Tarar said in his address at the forum.
He called for “joint trainings and workshops on crisis reporting, digital forensics and counter-disinformation practices” as well as “a common fact-checking mechanism.”
He proposed that member states adopt “a powerful declaration of media collaboration… which can set out the roadmap for the future” and guide coordination across the bloc.
The minister said the shift from traditional to digital media had created new challenges for governments and public institutions, particularly as younger people increasingly shape information flows. He stressed the importance of engaging Gen-Z audiences constructively and establishing shared codes of conduct for responsible digital communication.
“We need to bring together on this forum the digital natives along with the digital immigrants… and come up with a code of conduct, a code of ethics, where we can even educate a young population, the Gen Z, on the proactive and positive uses of social media,” Tarar said.
The minister also proposed the creation of D-8 social media handles to showcase economic development, counter extremism and jointly address Islamophobia. He said Pakistan’s own recent reforms, including in tax administration, demonstrated how digital governance could strengthen public confidence.
