Muzaffarabad: (Parliament Times) Secretary Information, Tourism and IT government of Azad Kashmir Ms. Midhat Shahzad has said that the welfare of the people associated with the field of journalism in Azad Kashmir was the top priority of the incumbent government.
Ms Shahzad made these remarks during a meeting here on Wednesday, which was attended by the representatives and office bearers of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Press Foundation, All Kashmir Newspaper Society(AKNS), Center Union of Journalists, Jammu and Kashmir Union of Journalists, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Newspaper Association and Central Press Club. Speaking on the occasion she said that the government was taking steps for the welfare of media workers through the Information Department platform.
Addressing the meeting, Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal said that strengthening of media houses and media workers in Azad Kashmir was the top priority of the Information Department for which a policy would be formulated after due consultation with all stakeholders.
The purpose of today’s meeting he said was to seek suggestions for the uplift of the media in the state. He said that the meeting sought to determine policy with reference to non-ABC and ABC newspapers, allocation of 3% for the welfare of journalists in terms of advertisements, and making advertisements conditional on remuneration of media workers and formulating code of conduct for social media.
Participants of the meeting, while assuring their full cooperation, appreciated the steps being taken by the Information Department with regard to media reforms.
Various committees were formed in the meeting to resolve the issues faced by the media organizations. At the end of the meeting, Fateha was offered the departed soul of senior journalist Saleem Akhtar Parwana and his sister.
Of those who were present in the meeting included, President AKNS Sardar Zahid Tabassum, former AKNS President Amer Mehboob, Amjad Chaudhry, Javed Iqbal , Zafeer Baba, Vice Chairman Press Foundation, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali, Syed Afaq Shah, Sajjad Mir, Raja Amjad, Shehzad Rathore, Abrar Haider, Ejaz Abbasi, Abdul Hakim Kashmiri, Ishtiaq Ahmad Atash and others.
