The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the non-payment of salaries to media persons. The committee directed the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage to take stringent measures to clear the remaining dues without further delay and report to the committee in its next meeting. The committee met at the Parliament House on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Mian Javed Latif. The committee stressed the need for effective legislation to safeguard the interests of media persons and directed that Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage to propose legislation to remove complications in the existing system to streamline the services of media persons so that the committee could support them accordingly. Dr Nafisa Shah moved a resolution which was supported by the chairman, members of opposition on the recent acts of abuse and violence against working journalists by some of the government functionaries and recommended that those responsible must be held accountable. Earlier, Special Assistant to PM on Information, Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had informed the committee about the efforts made by the government to safeguard the interests of the media persons. She informed the committee that her ministry after consultation with all the stakeholders had announced an interim 8th Wage Board Award for media workers and steps were being taken for a permanent award. “All the recommendations of committee for the resolution of media workers’ problems will be implemented. All the committee members have the same views about the resolution of media persons’ problems.” She said the government had cleared Rs 190 million outstanding dues of the media organisations before Eidul Fitr to ensure payment of salaries of media workers. The government’s share in the market of advertisements was only 15 per cent, she added. Dr Firdous said necessary legislation would be made to register media workers with the Employees Old Age Benefit Institute (EOBI), who under the present law could not become its members. The committee chairman appreciated the efforts of Dr Firdous for the resolution of media workers’ problems and expressed the hope that she would continue to do so in future as well. The media workers, he said, needed both financial and physical protection. Dr Firdous said for the resolution of working journalists’ problems, media organisations should be invited in the committee meetings. Dr Firdous said no body had the permission to physically assault the media persons. Prime Minister Imran Khan, she said, had telephoned anchor-person Sami Abrahim to express solidarity with him and condemn the incident.