ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday announced the constitution of the eighth wage board after 18 years.
“Ministry of Information has sent the summary in this regard to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and necessary notification in that regard would be issued after approval of the cabinet in its next meeting,” she said while talking to the media at the National Press Club, Islamabad, after lengthy parleys with the journalist community.
A wage board is a committee that is formed by the government for the purpose of fixing the rates of wages for journalists in Pakistan. The board is supposed to be constituted after every five years.
The minister revealed that the wage board would comprise a chairman and representatives of the media organizations and owners of the media houses. Representatives of National Press Club, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and media organizations present on this occasion also supported this announcement.
She said that PFUJ and media groups had fully cooperated in the process of consultations. The minister said that the announcement of the Wage Board Award was not a ritual but a practical step.
The MOS said that a delegation of journalists from all over the country headed by the PFUJ president visited her office about ten days ago and discussed the issue of Wage Board Award.
Marriyum said that she was announcing the award after 18 years in cooperation with the media. She said that the former Information minister Pervez Rashid had also made strenuous efforts for the eighth Wage Board Award.
She said that a committee had also been formed for drafting laws for the electronic media and after completion of the consultative process the bill would be presented in the parliament for discussion.
Marriyum said that the PM had a vision for according due status to the journalists. She said that the role played by media for strengthening democracy and war against terrorism was very commendable.
“The PFUJ, media bodies and other associations have always fought for the rights of the journalist community at all forums,” she said.
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