Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday lauded the journalist community for playing a critical role in protecting democracy from different kinds of threats in the country.
“Nobody can dare to attack democracy if the voice of journalists is powerful and their message is load and clear,” the minister said while addressing a reception organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) here at the National Press Club.
The reception was also attended by Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Sohail Ali Khan, Principal Information Officer Mobashir Hassan and a large number of journalists and media workers.
The minister said the health insurance scheme for journalists and media workers was introduced in the Federal Budget 2023-24 in line with the vision of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
“This step is continuity of the policies of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif who also has credit of the constitution of 8th Wage Board after a hiatus of 18 years,” she added.
When PM Shehbaz Sharif was opposition leader in the National Assembly, many journalists visited his chamber complaining about their health problems, she recalled while highlighting directives of the prime minister who soon after coming into the power ordered establishment of a fund for the medical treatment of deserving journalists and media workers.
“This is not a favour to anyone since this is your right and our responsibility,” the minister remarked.
She said owners of media houses could not be absolved of their responsibilities regarding welfare of the journalists and media workers.
Marriyum said the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) had been given representation on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s Council of Complaints and PEMRA Authority so that issues faced by the journalists and media workers were resolved in the earliest possible time.
She said the government had worked out a new strategy to ensure timely clearance of media workers’ dues by the media houses which would get advertisement payments from the government only on clearing outstanding payments of their workers. The minister said health insurance for journalists and media workers was part of the vision of the coalition government led by PM Shehbaz Sharif who played a crucial role in that regard.
