Protest against downsizing in media organizations
ISLAMABAD- Journalists Tuesday observed a token boycott from the National Assembly’s Press Gallery in protest against downsizing in various media organizations and delay in the payment of wages to the working journalists.
Minister of State for Education Mehr Ghulam Farid Kathiya requested the journalists to call off the boycott. Secretary General, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Mazhar Abbas while talking to Kathiya demanded of the government to link advertisements given to various media organizations to the working conditions provided to employees in these organizations. He said that some organizations had axed a large number of their employees without following the prescribed rules and regulations. He informed that more than 250 journalists had been sacked across the country. He also informed the minister that some other organizations were also delaying salaries of their staff. Kathiya assured the journalists that government would take all necessary steps to protect their rights.
He said that government believed in freedom of media, saying that Ministry of Information would be asked to protect the working journalists.
Later on, Minister for Information Sherry Rehman asked PFUJ’s Secretary General to furnish lists of sacked journalists so that she might take up the issue with owners of the said media organizations.
Earlier, while responding to points of order raised by Opposition MNAs Hanif Abbasi, Waqas Akram Sheikh and Sahibzada Fazal Karim, Sherry Rehman said that Pakistan Peoples
Party (PPP) was fully committed to freedom of press and cross media ownership policy of Pakistan was unique, which he said was not in practice even in western countries.
Source: The Nation
Date:1/14/2009
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