Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari met with Shahid Mehmood Khokhar, Chairman of the Independent Media Workers’ Union (ITNE) on Tuesday. The minister warmly welcomed Khokhar on his visit to the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR). During the meeting, he presented his annual report and a souvenir to the minister. The ITNE has successfully facilitated payments for 395 journalists over the past year, amounting to a total of Rs603.4 million. Azma Bukhari sought the chairman’s input on implementing the Wage Award, with Khokhar providing detailed insights on its application.
Secretary Information, Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani, DGPR Saqib Shahid, Director Coordination Khurshid Jilani and ED Bilal Bhatti were also present at the meeting.
The minster emphasised that the Punjab government is considering legislative measures to address the timely payment of media workers’ salaries. She stated that journalists should receive their salaries as per the 2019 Wage Award, underscoring that the government allocates advertisements to ensure these payments. “We are preparing a comprehensive plan to guarantee the timely payment of salaries to journalists,” Bukhari added. “We will also approach the federal government to discuss the implementation of the Wage Award and ensure that payments are made promptly.” She also made it clear that any form of injustice towards media representatives would not be tolerated, stating that a clear policy guideline will be introduced for institutions failing to pay their workers on time.