Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has said that work underway on the Provincial Journalist Protection Bill and it will be passed by the Sindh Assembly soon.
He was speaking as a chief guest at a seminar on freedom of press and media issues and their solutions organized by PFUJ and KUJ at a local hotel. Nasir said journalists are front line workers and are being given priority status inCovid vaccine invoculation on the instructions of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The minister said that the PPP has always worked for the welfare of journalists. On the direction of PPP chairman, 80% arrears have been released to media houses on the basis of timely payment of salaries to media workers.
He said that Sindh Information Department was paying 15% to advertising agencies and 85% to media houses. The minister said that copies of the book based on the 70-year struggle of PFUJ would be purchased for all public libraries in Sindh and added that Saeed Ghani and his team have enacted the best legislation for the welfare of the workers. He said that media workers would also be included in the Benazir Mazdoor Card. The minister said that a news museum was being set up in Sindh to keep records of old newspapers.
Senior journalists Hamid Mir, Mazhar Abbas, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi were present among others on the occasion.