LAHORE – The Punjab government has decided to link financial payments to electronic and print media with the timely disbursement of salaries to their employees.
The major decision was taken in the second meeting of the committee formed on the directives of provincial Minister for Information Azma Bukhari to address the issues being faced by the media professionals.
The meeting was attended by Director General Public Relations (DGPR) Ghulam Saghir Shahid and representatives of key journalist associations.
The DGPR has now been authorized to withhold payments to media houses that fail to pay their staff on time.
To enforce this, all media organizations are now required to submit monthly salary certification reports to the DGPR, confirming that their workers have received their due payments.
In another important development, the experience requirement for obtaining a press accreditation card has been reduced from 10 years to 5 years, making it easier for more journalists to receive official recognition.
Participants also expressed unanimous support for the DGPR’s efforts to eliminate dummy newspapers, which are often used to exploit press credentials and resources.
The meeting was attended by prominent media figures, including Sarwar Ali (President APNS), Kazim Khan (President CPNP), Hafiz Tariq Mehmood (Secretary EMEND), Ayaz Khan (Senior Vice President CPNP), and APNS members Noorullah and Mohsin Mumtaz.
These reforms are being hailed as a major step forward for press freedom and journalists’ rights in the country.
