ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday visited the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, and handed over 8th Wage Board Award documents to the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) leadership.
Marriyum Aurangzeb had on April 9 announced the formation of the 8th Wage Board Award under the Newspapers Employees (Conditions of Services) Act 1973, accepting the long-awaited demands of the Journalist Community.
In this regard a Ceremony was held at NPC in Islamabad today wherein the information minister handed over 8th Wage Board Award documents to the PFUJ Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhandi.
In her address on the occasion, the minister said the announcement of the wage board award was an honour for her. She said today the federal government handed over due rights of journalists to them.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government was cognizant of issues being faced by media workers, and said the government would ensure every step to facilitate journalists. She said the implementation of Wage Board would benefit journalists.
The information minister also thanked the Journalist Community to stand with democracy, and said democracy and journalists were protectors of each other. She said journalists gave countless sacrifices for the cause of democracy in the Country.
The minister also hailed efforts of the PFUJ President Afzal Butt, saying history would remember him for this success. She said Afzal Butt made her realize that what hardship a working journalist had to face in his/her life with empty stomachs.
Marriyum Aurangzeb further said electronic media workers needed a proper law to protect their rights, adding they were working together with Afzal Butt and his team to formulate a law to protect rights of electronic media workers.
While addressing the ceremony, the President PFUJ Afzal Butt appreciated officers of the ministry of information for their pragmatic and positive support. He said a new history had been written due to the support of the information minister and her team for the successful formation of the wage board award.
Afzal Butt said there was democracy in Pakistan and its norms made it happen that now after a long time, 8th Wage Board Award had been announced for the Journalist Community.
The PFUJ president said the Union always stood to protect Constitutional and democratic rights of journalists but unfortunately their rights were denied in the Country. He said political parties must understand that political workers and journalists had always been the first target of dictatorship.
Afzal Butt said if there was any attempt to derail democracy in Pakistan, the PFUJ would be frontline soldiers to protect Constitution and democracy.
Furthermore, he said there was a need to protect rights of workers in electronic media. He said there was no law which could protect rights of electronic media workers.
Afzal Butt thanked the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other politicians for their moral help. He also thanked all political parties to stand with the Journalist Community.
In his address, the PFUJ Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhandi said the Journalist Community always stood with democracy and freedom of expression but workers were denied salaries.
The PFUJ secretary general said media owners had a direct access to the governments while workers were a non-entity. He said workers were thrown away from jobs if they demanded their salaries.
The President NPC Tariq Mehmood Chaudhry was of the view that the state minister played a very sincere role to resolve issues faced by the Journalist Community while the Secretary NPC Shakeel Anjum said he was proud of the Journalist Community to keep fighting for their rights against all odds.
Shakeel Anjum appreciated the Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb for her support to resolve issues faced by the Journalist Community.
While addressing the ceremony, the President RIUJ Mubarak Zeb said the Journalist Community got due rights after a pause of 16 years. He said the services of the Principal Information Officer Saleem Baig, the Director General Internal Publicity Wing Tahir Khushnood and the Secretary Information Sardar Ahmad Sukhara must be appreciated for their positive role for the formation of 8th Wage Board Award.
The Secretary RIUJ Ali Raza Alvi said history would remember Marriyum Aurungzeb for announcing the long-awaited wage board award for journalists.
