Arif Nizami says he will raise issue of jobs for hawkers’ kin

KARACHI: Founder-Editor of Pakistan Today Arif Nizami has said he will raise the issue of jobs quota for the sons and daughters of hawkers in the media organisations in the country.
“I will raise this issue through articles and my influence to provide quota of jobs for the sons and daughters of the hawkers,” Arif Nizami said in a meeting with the representatives of the hawkers association in Karachi.
The meeting had been arranged to brief the representatives of the hawkers about the launch of Pakistan Today in Karachi on Tuesday and to inform them about the unique features of the first-ever Berliner newspaper in Pakistan.
The editor of Pakistan Today said, “We have introduced a modern and unique English daily with 32 colour pages and it is different in size, layout and content in comparison with the other newspapers being published in Pakistan”.
Arif Nizami said that in the past as well, he had raised the issues of hawkers at the APNS forum and that he would continue his support in the future for hawkers who were ‘integral part of the print media’.
He said Pakistan Today was making appointments on merit and his organisation could provide jobs to the relatives of hawkers under the same policy.
Earlier, Haji Iqbal Noon, president of the hawkers association welcomed Editor Pakistan Today Mr Arif Nizami at the office of the union located at New Charlie Depot.
He also welcomed Chief Operating Officer of Pakistan Today Babar Nizami, Editor Incharge Javed Mahmood, Head of the Promotion/Circulation Hikmat Turabi and Circulation Manager Anis Hyder.
Haji Iqbal pointed out that the representatives of almost all the depots of newspapers in Karachi were present at the meeting to greet founder-editor of Pakistan Today on the launch.
He said that all the hawkers would make dedicated efforts to promote this new English daily in Karachi.
Hawkers, however, pointed out that the owners of the newspapers forget them and news agents when their newspapers get stabilised in circulation.
They also said that job quota for employees’ sons was available for all social segments except the hawkers, who they said were being ‘neglected’ by the media owners and the society.
Arif Nizami, however, promised with the hawkers that his organization would not neglect them and he would continue to visit the office of the hawkers association to discuss with them their problems.