ISLAMABAD,(Parliament Times): Rawalpindi Islamabad Bureaus Journalists Association (RIBJA) on Friday reiterated its commitment to continue its struggle for the rights of regional newspapers as well as the journalists and media workers affiliated with these newspapers.
The commitment was reiterated during an extraordinary consultative meeting held under the chairmanship of the RIBJA President Sardar Shaukat Mahmood. The meeting was attended by a large number of members including Asif Malik Shaukat Satti, Joint Secretary, Raziq Mehmood Bhati, Atique Khan, Senior Founding Leader, Chaudhry Qurban and Ejaz Abbasi, Former President of KJF, Chaudhry Waheed Rasool, Naeem Qureshi, Muhammad Saleem, Raja Riaz, Waqar Khan, Asif Bhati, Babar Hussain, Raja Bilal, Atif Khan, Mubashir Khan, Nazia Altaf Naveed Ahmed, Asad Jafari, Syed Wajid Shah, Shakir Hussain and others.
The participants of the meeting discussed in detail the situation after negotiations with the government after the protest was postponed on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Speaking on the occasion, the RIBJA chief Sardar Shaukat Mahmood said, “Due to the hard work and unity of our friends, the government and the Prime Minister took a serious note of all our demands”. Terming it as a healthy development he said that a step towards a solution has been taken, which needs to be appreciated. “We have good expectations from Information Minister Shibli Faraz, Information Secretary Akbar Durrani and PIO Shahir Shahid”, he said adding that the members of the RIBJA won’t relent until practical steps were taken by the government and the Ministry of Information.
The struggle Mehmood said will go on unabated until the restoration of 25% quota for regional newspapers and its implementation, cancellation of government notification regarding centralization of policy and restoration of client-media. He urged all members of the organization to continue their struggle in mutual unity and consensus. No power in the world, he said, can rob them (Media men) of their rights.
Mehmood regrettably noted that unconstitutional and illegal tactics were being used to push the regional media to the wall. He said that it was quite unfortunate that the Prime Minister was being fed with false and fabricated information about the regional media. He appealed the Prime Minister Imran Khan to take a suo-motu action against anti-media elements who he said were hell bent on destroy media institutions. Mahmood made it clear that there was no hidden agenda other than seeking solution to the problems faced by regional papers and media workers associated with them.