Maryam Aurangzeb announces eighth wage board award

Lahore : Minister of state for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Ms. Maryam Aurangzeb talking to the media at the National Press Club after lengthy parleys with the journalist community announced the constitution of the eighth wage Board after eighteen years.

She said that the summary in this regard had been sent to the Prime Minister by the ministry of Information and necessary notification in that regard would be issued after approval of the cabinet in its next meeting.

The minister revealed that the Wage Board would comprise a Chairman and representatives of the media organizations and owners of media houses. Representatives of National Press club, PFUJ and media organizations were also with the minister while she made this announcement.

She said that PFUJ and media groups had fully cooperated in the process of consultations. The MOS 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 PFUJ President visited her office about ten days ago and discussed the issue of Wage Board Award. She said that she was announcing the award after eighteen years with the cooperation of the media.

Maryam said that the former Information minister Pervaiz Rashid had also made strenuous efforts for the eighth wage board award and he wanted to accomplish the task assigned to him by the former Prime Minister as soon as possible.

The minister 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.

Maryam said that the former Prime Minister and the incumbent Shahid Khaqan Abbasi both 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.

She said that the PFUJ, media bodies and associations had always fought for the rights of the journalist community at all forums. She said that the representative of the media organizations kept on changing which was the beauty of democracy.

She said that Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was waging a war for the sanctity of vote for the sake of democracy.