ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Sunday rued that salaries of journalists had not been increased for several years. He said recently media houses earned 40 per cent profit.
Talking to newsmen at the Lahore Press Club on Sunday afternoon, Fawad Chaudhry said media house owners increased salaries of anchors, but not the other staff and journalists.
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He said the government would provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the journalists and their families for free through the Sehat Card.
The minister said that families of journalists and members of press clubs in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be given health facilities up-to one million rupees at both government and private hospitals.
He said that journalists throughout Pakistan would be provided subsidised houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain also announced to build a digital media lab in Lahore. He suggested the print media to shift to digital media. He said advertisement worth Rs12 billion had been transferred to digital media.
“With launching of the 5G technology, which has been delayed because of the trade war between China and the United States, the world of internet would see a new revolution as its speed would multiply,” he said.
About country’s political situation, the information minister said the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) would continue to rule in the center after winning the next general elections.
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To a query, Chaudhary Fawad Hussain said that government was spending Rs700 billion on development of Southern Balochistan.
Earlier, he distributed Sehat Cards among journalists and felicitated them on achieving this reward.
