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LAHORE, Jul 30 (APP):In a major move to safeguard the rights of media workers, the Punjab government has decided to link official payments to media outlets with timely disbursement of salaries to their employees.
The decision was taken during the second meeting of the Special Committee addressing issues faced by journalists, held under the chairmanship of Secretary Information Punjab, Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani, on the directives of Minister for Information & Culture Azma Bokhari.
Director General Public Relations (DGPR) Punjab Ghulam Saghir Shahid and prominent representatives from media and journalist organisations were present.
As per the new policy, government advertisements and payments to both electronic and print media outlets will be contingent upon their compliance with timely salary payments. The DGPR has been empowered to withhold payments from media houses found defaulting on salary disbursement. Furthermore, all media organizations will now be required to submit monthly salary disbursement certificates to the DGPR as evidence of compliance.
In another significant development, the committee approved the reduction of the required professional experience for press accreditation cards from 10 years to 5 years. This decision is expected to benefit a large number of working journalists, especially those in the early and middle stages of their careers.
During the meeting, media stakeholders also unanimously backed the DGPR’s ongoing campaign to eliminate dummy newspapers, reaffirming their commitment to promoting authentic and responsible journalism.
The meeting was attended by high-profile media representatives including Sarmad Ali (President, APNS), Kazam Khan (President, CPNE), Hafiz Tariq Mahmood (Secretary, AMEND), Ayaz Khan (Senior Vice President, CPNE), and APNS members Noorullah and Mohsin Mumtaz.