Punjab government paid advertising agencies their pending dues : Samsam Bukhari

Lahore : Punjab government has paid advertising agencies their pending dues amounting to Rs. six crore 80 lakh, today.

Provincial Minister Information and Culture Syed Samsam Ali Bukhari shared the detail of amount to Mumtaz Tahir, Naveed Kashif and Jamil Athar Qazi, representatives of APNS and PBA at DGPR Office today.

On this occasion, other office-bearers and representatives of aforementioned organizations and DGPR Punjab Dr. Muhammad Aslam Dogar were also present. Vice President APNS Mumtaz Tahir and representative of PBA Naveed Kashif thanked the Punjab government for the payment of the dues.

The Minister assured that Punjab government will soon clear all the pending dues. He said in the next few days more payments will be released. Secretaries of defaulter departments have been issued directions to immediately pay the pending dues to the advertising agencies. Punjab government is giving payment of the advertisements better other provinces.

On this occasion, Vice President APNS Mumtaz Tahir thanked the efforts made by the Minister Information for payment of dues and said that federal government and governments of other provinces should also clear their remaining dues by following the payment policy of Punjab government.

Moreover, Samsam Bukhari also distributed the cheques of financial assistance to the deserving journalists at Press Club today.

President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari and other office bearers of Pres Club were present on this occasion. While talking to the ceremony, Provincial Minister Information said that present government considers cooperating and solving the problems of journalists community as its responsibility. Journalists are such segment of our society who pointed out the problems and their solutions. He said that under the Journalists Support Fund the cheques have been given to the 50 deserving journalists.

On this occasion, President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari and SVP Zulfiqar Mehto informed the minister about the problems being faced by the members of Press Club. They informed to the minister that the annual grant of Lahore Press Club is less than the press clubs of metropolises of other provinces. Similarly, problems of affectees of B Block of Journalists Housing Society has not yet been resolved. He assured that he himself arranges the meeting of the delegation of representatives of the Lahore Press Club with Punjab Chief Minister and a comprehensive strategy will be adopted for solving the problems.

He also congratulated Mian Aslam and Faizan Bangash for electing President and Secretary for Punjab Assembly Press Gallery election.