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LAHORE, Aug 15 (APP):Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has announced financial assistance of 2.5 million rupees for the deceased senior journalist Akhlaq Bajwa.
Talking to the media during a visit to condole the demise of senior journalist Akhlaq Bajwa at his residence here on Thursday, he said an amount of 2.5 million rupees in a fixed deposit account was being provided to the family in this hour of need.
Akhlaq Bajwa had dedicated most part of his life as parliamentary reporter and was the sitting president of the Punjab Assembly Press Gallery Committee.
Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condoled with the family of the deceased journalist and offered Fateha for the departed soul.
To a query, he said the amount was in addition to the already announced relief by Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Khan, adding that the Speaker had announced a job for one of Akhlaq Bajwa’s sons.
He said Akhlaq Bajwa was a dedicated and committed journalist.
The minister paid tribute to the journalistic contributions of the journalist, adding that he stood like a rock in the face of unparliamentary practices at the Punjab Assembly in the recent past.
The minister also asked the journalists to come up with the proposals so that some government building, a block at the Lahore Press Club or some government project may be dedicated to the deceased Akhlaq Bajwa.
He urged the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and other bodies to protect the media workers, adding that the government saved the media industry from two taxes in the recently announced fiscal budget. He said the minimum wages should not be less than 37,000 rupees, urging the media houses to implement the policy.
He said the government had already established health insurance for the journalists, adding that the media houses should come forward with proposals to start life insurance for the media workers. He said all journalist would be covered under the Health Insurance. He said that the media houses should become partners in starting life insurance for the media workers.
To a query, the minister said he would talk to Provincial Minister Azma Bukhari regarding grant of the Lahore Press Club.
The information minister said that there was need to some regulations for the social media, adding that the newspapers and news channels had some regulations and it needed to be applicable to the social media presenters as well.