Rashid assures to resolve Wage Board problem amicably
ISL.AMABAD- We open heartedly confess the flaws in the system and always express our desire to make amends. For this reason the Press is given freedom of expression so that they can make things better by listening to positive criticism and dealing with the uphill challenges of fulfilling national responsibilities effectively and efficiently.
This was stated by Major General Rashid Qureshi in a meeting with a group of journalists who called on him at ISPR’s headquarters in Rawalpindi. He said that those who try to destabilize the country or work against its interests end nowhere.
He realized that the problems of the country were immense but they were working hard for its betterment. For a soldier the country comes first as from the very beginning he is trained in such a manner that nothing is dearer to him than defending the mother land. Self-interest comes last. The main purpose of the meeting was to bring to notice about the members of the newly constituted body of the seventh Wage Board in which the representation of the working journalists was ignored. It was mentioned that due to this step a wave of’ discontentment has spread among the journalists.
The Maj Gen. was told in detail about the two groups of journalists i.e. Burna and Dastoor and how one group was given preference over the other, the fact remaining that the other group enjoys majority vote among the twin cities’ journalists. Maj Gen. Rashid Qureshi gave a very patient hearing to the group’s complaint and assured that the needful will be done in this regard. He was surprised to know how a committee was formed when all its members except one were serving on contract basis and were not the regular employees of any newspaper. He said that they respect right of workers.
He considered it a social indiscretion and said that the policy should be made in such way that it improves the lot of the journalist community and this can only be done if veteran and regular journalists are made members of that body so that this long issue is dealt with amicably the end result being the welfare of journalists.
Maj.Gen Rashid assured that this genuine request will be considered at the earliest as the Government has no favourites among the journalists and they will do everything for the larger interest of the country and upholding the cause of a free Press. Present on the occasion was also Colonel Saulat.
The journalists included Sand Sahir, former president of PFUJ (Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists), Idress Bakhtiar, senior journalist member of FEC (Federal Executive Council) and RIUJ( Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists), Nawaz Raza, president of Rawalpindi Press Club and RIUJ, Rana Ghulam Qadir, secretary general of PFUJ and Khalid Azim, former secretary general of RIUJ.
Source: The Nation
Date:7/19/2000
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