Efforts on for Wage Board Award | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Efforts on for Wage Board Award

KARACHI, January 17, 2005: Concerted efforts are being made to seriously address the issue of implementation of Seventh Wage Board Award, said State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ms Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli here on January 16, while addressing a reception in honour of “luminaries of journalism”.

She said she would meet a delegation of PFUJ at her office on January 18 and apprise her of the issue in detail.After Eid-ul-Azha, she added, she will be giving audience to CPNE and APNS to hear their viewpoint. She said that every problem could be solved through dialogue.

Referring to remarks by Federal Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed after a meeting with CPNE members in Karachi on January 15, she said the Federal Minister has made “a categorical expression regarding wage board award and its implementation”.

Ms Tahirkheli assured the journalist community that she would also advocate their cause in her personal capacity and said she personally handed over the memorandum by PFUJ to Prime Minister.

“I have asked federal information secretary to meet PFUJ delegation to sort out the issue,” she said. She said if a journalist is conscious and honest then no other person is important than him, she said eulogizing the role of mediamen.

These are the people who mould the civil society and wage struggle against injustice. They are to be honoured and respected, Tahirkheli said.

She congratulated the Lions Club International, District 301 for honouring journalists and said it was a unique gesture by the hosts to acknowledge the services rendered by journalists for the society.

She accepted the invitation to visit Karachi and address members of Karachi Union of Journalist. She specifically lauded the efforts by Lions Club for the welfare of women.

Earlier senior journalist and former president of PFUJ, Abdul Hameed Chappra, representing journalist community regretted that newspaper owners have not implemented Seventh Wage Board Award.

He said various incentives, including exemption from Income Tax, Excise Duty, Withholding Tax, increase in rate of advertisement by 25 %, were given to the newspaper owners but even interim relief allowed by the Seventh Wage Board Award was not implemented.

Later, chief guest Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli presented awards to senior journalists including Fazil Jamili (News Editor Awam), Mazhar Abbas (AFP), Nasir Memon (Station Director Radio Pakistan, Karachi), Anwar Saeed (Director News, Radio Pakistan, Karachi), Habib Khan Ghouri (Senior Reporter Dawn), Hasan Abidi (Dawn), Abdul Qadir Qureshi (former bureau chief Associated Press of Pakistan- APP Karachi), Farooq Moin (Chief Editor, PPI), Abdul Hameed Chappra (Free Lance), Qasim Jaalali (General Manager PTV, Karachi) Tahir Najmi (Editor, Express), Farhad Zaidi, Ansar-ul-Haq and Huma Bokhari.
Source: Daily Times
Date:1/17/2005