Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said that media freedom is one of the most important pillars of democracy and the government has tabled the ‘Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill 2021’ in the National Assembly.

Talking to the journalists while inaugurating the corona vaccination centre for the journalist community at the Rawalpindi Press Club, she said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the Punjab government was taking practical steps for the welfare of the media community and accelerating the vaccination process to eradicate COVID-19 all over Punjab.

She said that the vaccination of journalists have been started in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sahiwal and Rawalpindi districts while it would be carried out at all 36 districts of the province. She said the country’s economy was moving forward on the right path and major crops achieved record production.

Dr Firdous Awan said that wheat production has increased by 8.1 per cent while sugarcane has also witnessed an increase of 22 per cent this year. She said that a 25% special allowance would be given to provincial employees from June as the government was committed for providing maximum facilities to the people with available resources.

Commenting on the oath-taking of Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, she said there was no threat to the chief minister or PTI government due to the entry of the former interior minister in the provincial assembly, adding a new group would emerge from within PMLN in the assembly.

Answering a query, she reiterated there was no political victimization in the country as Prime Minister Imran Khan believed in indiscriminate and across the board accountability according to the law.