ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate Standing Committee on Information has extended its full support for the nine-point Charter of Demand of the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA).
The PRA President Behzad Saleemi, the Secretary General M.B. Soomro, and the Secretary Information Ali Sher attended the Senate Standing Committee on Information Meeting in Islamabad on Thursday on a special invitation.
The Parliamentary Reporters Association delegation presented a nine-point Charter of Demand pertaining to journalists’ issues to the Standing Committee.
The Members of the Senate Standing Committee on Information backed the demands, and urged the government to pay all outstanding dues in Ramazan.
Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said that half of the Ramazan has past and it’s an injustice and cruelty that in several media organizations, salaries of three to six months haven’t yet been paid to employees.
میڈیا ہاوسز میں تنخواہوں کی عدم ادائیگی کا معاملہ اٹھانے پر سینیٹ کی قائمہ کمیٹی برائے اطلاعات کے چئیرمین فیصل جاوید کے ہم مشکور ہیں@FaisalJavedKhan @PTIofficial pic.twitter.com/OHGaaSpWYQ
— Shakeel Qarar (@Qarar009) May 23, 2019
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that she has been in contact with all media workers organizations for addressing their problems as per directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the prime minister desired that salaries should be paid to journalists at all costs.
The special assistant said that the federal government has to pay Rs 1.1 billion, the Punjab government Rs 570 million, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has Rs 100 million outstanding dues in respect of ads in print and electronic media.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the government will pay all these dues but this payment will be conditioned with payment of salaries to journalists.
