ISLAMABAD – A sub-committee of Senate’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage on Monday expressed displeasure over absence of the representatives of the print and electronic media houses.
Mushahidullah Khan, convener of the sub-committee, said that the owners of the media houses never bothered to attend any meeting of the sub-committee which was unfortunate as the problems of the working journalists cannot be resolved without their participation.
He said that the government can legislate, but cooperation of the media houses owners was prerequisite to implement them. He asked the Ministry of the IB&NH to hold consultations with organisations of the media for improvement of the draft of the bill. He said that the committee could not wait for the media house owners for long and law would be finalised in their absence if they do not attend the meetings.
IB&NH Secretary Imran Gardezi said that newspaper employees’ organisations have sought one month time for consultations with their provincial chapters and other stakeholders and the ministry was facilitating them. The secretary said that the workers of media houses should be registered with Employees Old-Age Benefit Fund and added that way out should be found as contract employees are not covered as per law.
Principal Information Officer (PIO) Rao Tehsin Ali Khan told the sub-committee that audit bureau of circulation certificate has been linked with EOBI registration, and so far, 600 newspapers have been registered with the EOBI.
