By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The PPP government is committed to provide better working conditions to journalists and the proposed setting up of a Victims’ Fund for them would be an important step in this direction, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said.
She was talking to a delegation of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), which met the Minister to apprise her of the issues of journalists, particularly non-implementation of Seventh Wage Board Award.
The delegation demanded that Seventh Wage Board Award which remained pending for the last seven years should be implemented.
Sherry Rehman assured the delegation of the government’s complete support in this regard. She said “holding of Stakeholders Conference on Freedom of Information within six weeks of being in government shows the present government’s commitment towards freedom of media and well-being of journalists”.
The delegation appreciated the minister for her efforts for the establishment of Victims Fund for journalists.
When the issue of non-payment of salaries to some journalists was brought to the notice of the Minister by the delegation, she issued instructions to the Ministry of Information officials to take up the issue of non-payment of salaries of certain journalists with the relevant newspapers and ensure that salaries are paid in time.
“No false cases will be registered against journalists in future and those fabricated cases which were registered by the previous government will be immediately withdrawn. We assure the journalist community our complete support and they are free to report and criticize the government without any fear”, was the response of the minister when the issue of fabricated cases against journalists by the previous government was raised by the delegation.
The delegation included Huma Ali, President PFUJ, Mazhar Abbas,General Secretary PFUJ, C.R.Shamsi, Fauzia Shahid and Kamal Azfar.