KARACHI: Advisor to Chief Minister on Information & Archives, Law & Anti-Corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Tuesday said that long-awaited issues of journalists will be endorsed on the prior basis by the Sindh government and health card scheme soon be implemented.
He was invited by Karachi Union of Journalists to speak at a convention held at Karachi Press Club. The convention was attended by a large number of prominent journalists. The convention was arranged by senior journalists of Federal Union of Journalist President G M Jamali and members including Aaijaz Jamali, Hassan Abbas, and others who welcomed Adviser to the CM on Information and Law, Barrister Murtaza Wahab.
During the convention, the agenda was to discuss issues of the journalists including salaries of workers of the print and electronic media.
Non-payment of salaries to the journalists, termination from the jobs, abolition/ step down of contract system, health facilities to the journalists and establishment of eight wage board award were also addressed in the convention.
It was discussed that the Print and Electronic media houses owners did not release the salaries of journalists for five to six months, the reason, journalists are facing hardship and unable to support their families. Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Information & Archives, Law and Anticorruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab assured the journalists that he would dialogue to the government regarding the issues of media persons and will effort to resolve their matter on war footing basis.
He said in the past, dummy newspapers were also obliged with the advertisement, now and after blacklisting of those newspapers the distribution of advertisement will be transparent.
On a query, he said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) never compromise on the freedom of expression. “I have ordered that Information Department Government of Sindh for the revive advertisement policy and it will soon be approved by the Sindh Cabinet,” he added.
At this occasion, All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) General Secretary Syed Sarmad Ali, Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) General Secretary Jabbar Khatak, President FUJ, G M Jamali, President KUJ, Ajiz Jamali and other renowned journalists also addressed on the occasion.
