First ever development journalism course completed in Peshawar

First development journalists received three months diploma certificates
Ashrafuddin Pirzada 
PESHAWAR : The certificates distribution ceremony of the first batch of  three months development journalism course was held in Peshawar University on Tuesday.
Fifteen students from civil organisations and reporters from Fata were selected through proper examination and interviews for three months course.
German cooperation organization DEUTSCHE ZUSAMMENARBEIT had funded the course was completed the first batch with the collaboration of  Journalism and Mass Communication department of Peshawar University.
In this connection, certificates and prize distribution ceremony was held in Peshawsr university in which vice chancellor Peshawar university,Dr professor Rasool Jan,was the chief guest.
Address on the occasion vice chancellor Dr Rasool Jan said it was an innovative experience that they started development journalism course with collaboration with German INGO GIZ. He said It was a fruitful course completed by the working journalists and NGOs employees."It was the initial program with German NGO and do hope that it coin more projects with the Peshawar university", vice chancellor praised the cooperation and economical support with the Fata secretariat and Peshawar university.He urged the graduated students to utilize the skills and practical experiences for the betterment and prosperity of laymen they earned during the three months.Professor Rasool Jan said it was a golden and a unique course comprised of twelve subjects for the journalists working in Fata. He lauded the long lasting contributions by Dr Shah Jehan Sayed,the chairman of Journalism and Mass Communication, and said that Dr Shah Jehan had always played an ambassador role between the German government and Peshawsr University.
Steam Schmid,the GIZ official, said the aim of the three months course was to polish the journalistic skills of the working journalists.He said reporters should come out of the vacuum of hard news stories and to highlight the developmental projects doing by the government or any NGO. Schmid said along side the capacity building of the students in the course it would also provide a chance of social networking between them. 
Daud Afridi, Fata secretariat official, said journalists have provided them a clear picture of the projects underway in Fata.He appriciated the German governemt's role in Fata and said that billion of rupees projects including solar system and tube wells projects in Khyber agency and Frontier Regions were prominent. 
JMC chairman Dr Shah Jehan Sayed and senior journalist Ismail Khan also spoke on the occasion. "It was a nine-year joint venture with the the German GIZ which would would work in capacity building of reporters and others employees working in civil organisations", Shah Jahan said.
Earlier, Dr Rasool Jan distributed prizes and certificates among the graduated students. Amjid Ali got first position, Sana Ijaz 2nd while Ali Shinwari got 3rd position who also received journalism equipments .