Journalists, covering the proceeding of the NWFP Assembly, on Monday staged a walkout in protest against the non-implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award and publishing of advertisements against it in the national press.
As the NWFP resumed proceeding, journalists sitting in the press gallery staged a walk out, which was pointed out by Pir Muhammad Khan of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) to Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan.
Speaking on the matter, Pir Muhammad Khan urged the government to take practical measures for the implementation of the Wage award.
He suggested to the provincial government to link the official advertisements with the implementation of the award and payment of salaries to the workers of the newspaper industry.
He also demanded of the government to take action against all such newspapers, which were refusing to accept the rights of their workers.
Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao of the Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao) appreciated the role of Federal Minister for Information Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on the issue.
Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat said that after the passage of unanimous resolution in the Senate and the National Assembly, the government had no excuse but get the award implemented.
He also called for the linking of the official advertisement with implementation of the award.
Announcing the provincial government's stand over the matter, Minister for Information Asif Iqbal Daudzai said that all the four provincial assemblies had passed unanimous resolutions for the implementation of the award.
However, he said that credit went only to the MMA government, which had constituted a special committee, comprising the working journalists and newspaper owners in the province to resolve the matter through negotiations.
He said that the provincial government would leave no stone unturned in giving constitutional rights to the journalists.
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