Out of the financial assistance given by the Punjab government to the journalists, the 2 million for Lahore press club could not reach the journalists,
Saddia Mazhar ( Sahiwal): “I was on duty and my body felt like I had a fever, and I felt really dizzy and shaky,” said shiraz Hassan, a reporter of one national News channel in the southeast city of Punjab. Shiraz was one of those journalists to who were fulfilling their duties without salary, tested positive for the virus in the worst of his financial condition.
“I left the office without completing my assignment as I was worried about my financial condition. When I returned home, it was very difficult. I borrowed money from my friend for covid test, and for medicine, a friend helped me a lot in this tough time” he told Transparency Observer by telephone. “I had a high fever, and a lot of body pain. I couldn’t stand up but still I did everything on my own, no financial assistance was giving by my media house or press club either”
A year later after covid, Freedom network an independent media watchdog, released a report stated that At least 30 journalists have tested positive for the coronavirus in southwest Pakistan, taking the total number of journalists infected across the country to more than 50., indicating that news organizations’ guidelines for journalists were either being ignored or needed better enforcement.
In year 2021, 199 journalists from 15 district of Punjab applied for financial assistance through their district press clubs. From Lahore 18 applications were received for financial assistance of family of deceased journalists and amount of 1,750,000/ were given to them.
A maximum of 87 applications were received for the medical treatments from Journalists. 54 applications were from Lahore and received funds were 5,575,000/.
2019 to 2021, an era of covid-19, journalists were the front-line worrier in all this tenor but suffered alone. According to the data received from the officials, no of 66 journalists from Punjab, mainly 58 were from Lahore, applied for the funds and received 1,825,000 / as covid relief fund.
Question arises, how many journalists were aware about these funds?
“I want to apply for financial assistance as a working journalist from Multan, but my head refused my application by saying that you are not eligible for” labia Zainab, a journalist from Multan says.
“When I ask about the eligibility area or other formalities, he refuses to give any detail” she further added.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) negotiated the agreement with Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Cohan back in 2020.
The measures announced include:
The provincial information ministry will pay a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 if a journalist d from a coronavirus while the Punjab Government will pay Rs.1 million relief funds to the family of any journalist who dies due to the deadly disease
The provincial government will pay Rs100,000 to any journalist who contracts COVID-19.
Masks and protective equipment will be provided to the union to distribute to journalists and newspaper sellers.
“Almost 40 journalists in Multan district suffered with covid and I am the only women got infected in this district. It was indeed a tough time but the ignorance from our media houses were worst.” Aneela Ashraf, a working journalist from a private media house share her experience with Transparency observer.
“Some journalists from “Rohi TV”, from Multan who suffered from covid, got some financial aid from DGPR (Directorate general of public relations) Punjab, worth 1lack each. She further added.
Punjab government announced special covid fund for journalists but unfortunately, they were not aware about this or many are not affiliated with press clubs as they are working as freelance journalists.