Uniting the Industry for Growth and Knowledge Exchange

The Karachi Film Society (KFS) in collaboration with Habib University organised the Pakistan Media Summit 2024 – a ground-breaking gathering of policymakers, industry leaders and academia at Habib University.

The two day event discussed some of the most pressing topics faced by the media industry today, including the role of media in the development of economy and potential of digital media. The first day of the summit began with a welcome note from the host – actor and educator – Tazeen Hussain, followed by a brief speech from Dr Ishrat Hussain on how media influences economic expectations. His speech set the tone for the first panel discussion moderated by Ehsan Malik, CEO, Pakistan Business Council. The guest on the panel included Amin Hashwani, CEO, Hashoo Group of Companies, Arif Habib, CEO, Arif Habib Group, Asif Peer, CEO, Systems Limited and Duraid Qureshi, CEO, HUM Network Limited (HNL) and Arshad Munir, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, all of whom highlighted the importance of media responsibility, effective branding for Pakistan and promoting success stories. They called for responsible coverage of global events, better content and growth in the entertainment sector. The need for media reforms and balanced reporting, with regulatory measures similar to banking, was emphasized to improve the overall media landscape.

The second session of the event, ‘Potential of Digital Media in Pakistan,’ hosted by Faizan Syed, CEO, East River, focused on digital growth, media consumption, and content creation. The panellists included Jehan Ara, CEO, Katalyst Labs, Farhan Khan, CEO, Brainchild Communications and Javed Jafri, Digital Media and Data Lead at Unilever. Key points discussed included the importance of understanding consumer habits, the need for quality programming, and the challenges of finding sustainable business models. The third panel discussion delved into advertising, traditional mind sets, and the need for guidance and education to help young people evolve and seize opportunities. The panelists Yaser Awan, Director, Mindstorm Studios, Imran Khan, Founder & CEO, Raptr Games, and Adnan Maqbool, CMO, Soul Tek Games Studio also highlighted the potential of gaming as a source of substantial earnings and economic benefits.

Day 2 of the Pakistan Media Summit featured discussions on filmmaking, music, comedy and soft power. Highlights included Carol Ann Noronha sharing her filmmaking journey, a panel on intellectual copyrights in Pakistan’s music industry, a debate on the lack of comedy in mainstream media, and strategies to enhance Pakistan’s soft power through media, culture, and education. The summit concluded with optimism for the industry’s growth and fostered collaboration among policymakers, industry leaders, and academia.

Notable panellists on the second day included Sultana Siddiqui, President, HNL, Javed Jabbar, former senator and federal minister for Information, veteran actress Bushra Ansari, Cemal Sangu,, Consul General of Türkiye, Ameena Saiyid, MD, Lightstone Publishers and former MD, Oxford University Press, Dr. Moeed Yusuf, a political scientist and Wasif Rizvi, Vice Chancellor, Habib University along with talented singers Bilal Maqsood and Asim Azhar.