National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has suggested forming a welfare fund of Rs 500 million for journalists.
The meeting the committee was held under the chairmanship of MNA Muhammad Aslam Bodla.
Chairman Bodla said that the security and welfare bill of journalists is very important and it should be introduced as soon as possible. He issued directives to all members of the committee to submit the recommendations before May 12 regarding the bill.
Committee member Parveen Masood said that bill should be presented to the National Assembly within a month instead of three months as more than 100 journalists had lost their lives during service but their offices, where they were working didn’t provide financial help to their families.
“A journalist committed suicide due to non-payment of salaries but the respective media house was not asked in this regard”, she added
The committee member Imran Zafar Laghari has said that a code of conduct should be introduced under which any journalist accused of airing wrong news should be penalised.
