On the special direction of Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, a special grant to the 44 press clubs across Punjab for the first time in the history has been disbursed. A special ceremony was held at the CM Office to award special grant cheques among the Presidents and General Secretaries of the Press Clubs across Punjab. Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi, Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi and Provincial Minister for Information Amir Mir awarded special grant cheques to the Press Club Presidents of tehsils, districts and divisions across Punjab.
The presidents of 44 press clubs were granted cheques worth Rs. 9 crore 45 lakhs on the whole. Presidents of Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal press clubs and presidents of different districts and tehsils press clubs including Jhang and Khanewal were also granted cheques. Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi while addressing the cheque distribution ceremony stated “we came for few months but one year has passed approximately.
It is my utmost strive to do something substantial for the professional journalists. This is a special grant which we have awarded to the press clubs.” Mohsin Naqvi stated that as the Lahore Press Club is located in Lahore, it was supported earlier and will be supported in future as well but other press clubs used to be ignored. For the first time, small press clubs have been awarded this grant. “I wish that this grant being awarded to the press clubs should be converted into an annual grant so that the press clubs can receive this grant permanently.” CM underscored that journalism is the name of responsibility and honesty. “I deem in the capacity of a journalist that a lot of responsibilities rest on us. I am journalist and now Chief Minister as well. I realise that we commit a lot of mistakes at many points.
When I will quit from this post then I will share it as where we commit mistakes. The majority of journalists are responsible and dutiful. I take pride that I belong to such a journalist community who rendered invaluable services for the country.” Mohsin Naqvi stated that when he assumed the office of CM then many people criticised him for being a journalist and how come he can deliver. We strived to our utmost and the whole team worked day and night to accomplish the targets. “I got an excellent team, had I been alone then I would never have delivered anything.
The whole team made best efforts and gave fruitful results as well.” Mohsin Naqvi stated that he is grateful to the Federal Minister Murtaza Solangi for coming in this ceremony. It was our collective duty to award grants to the small press clubs which we have duly fulfilled. The journalists community should spend on the information technology out of the grant being awarded to the press clubs. There was once an era of newspapers but with the passage of time the graph of newspapers started coming down and the television replaced it.
