Pakistani journalists covering UNGA 81 honoured at Washington reception

WASHINGTON: The Pakistani American Press Association (Papa) hosted a reception and dinner in Washington for Pakistani journalists who travelled to the United States to cover the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, bringing together visiting media professionals, Washington-based journalists and members of the Pakistani-American community.

The gathering provided an opportunity for journalists to exchange observations from the UN General Assembly and discuss a rapidly changing international landscape, as well as the challenges confronting journalism at a time when artificial intelligence and digital platforms are reshaping the media industry.

The 81st session of the General Assembly was held against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, continuing conflicts and humanitarian crisis, growing concerns over climate change and the expanding influence of artificial intelligence. Its theme — “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All” — reflected many of the questions confronting the international system.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was among the world leaders addressing the General Assembly, while a delegation of senior Pakistani journalists travelled to the United States to cover his engagements and the proceedings at the United Nations.

Welcoming the visiting journalists, Papa President Khurram Shahzad and General Secretary Yousaf Chaudhry said such interactions helped strengthen professional links between journalists working in Pakistan and their counterparts in the United States.

Among those attending the event were Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt, Batool Rajput, Mateen Haider, Kamran Raja, Nayyar Ali, Shakir Abbasi, Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada, Shabbir Ali, Zulqarnain, Nazira Azam, Anwar Iqbal and Anas, besides other journalists and community representatives.

The visiting journalists shared their experiences of covering the General Assembly, where developments in Gaza and the wider Middle East, tensions involving Iran, the US and Israel, the war in Ukraine and broader shifts in the international order figured prominently in diplomatic discussions and media coverage.

A significant part of the discussion in Washington focused on the changing nature of journalism itself.

Participants noted that newsrooms were increasingly being influenced by artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. While these tools could help journalists process information and work more efficiently, speakers said they had also raised serious questions about accuracy, misinformation, verification, editorial oversight and journalistic ethics.

Sajid Tarar, head of Muslims of America and a prominent member of the Pakistani-American community, addressed the gathering and announced plans to organise free artificial intelligence training workshops for journalists in Pakistan.

He said journalists needed greater exposure to emerging technologies as news organisations adapted to a media environment increasingly shaped by AI.

Muslims of America also presented certificates of appreciation to journalists in recognition of their professional work, with Tarar presenting the certificates during the ceremony.

Speakers also discussed the role of Pakistani journalists and community organisations in the United States in maintaining professional and people-to-people links between Pakistan and the US. They stressed the importance of creating more opportunities for interaction, training and exchange between media professionals in the two countries.

The discussion returned repeatedly to a central concern confronting contemporary journalism: technology may have dramatically increased the speed at which information travels, but it has also made verification more important.

Participants said that in an age of social media, artificial intelligence and instant news, the journalist’s fundamental responsibility remained unchanged — to establish facts, maintain professional integrity and distinguish verified information from claims and misinformation.

The reception concluded with calls for closer professional cooperation between Pakistani journalists at home and abroad, as well as further training initiatives aimed at preparing journalists for technological changes transforming the global media industry.

For the visiting journalists, the Washington gathering also offered an opportunity to reflect on an unusually consequential week in New York — one in which wars, diplomacy, competing national narratives and emerging technologies all converged under the roof of the United Nations.