Government committed to resolving Wage Award issue: Durrani

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has said the government alone cannot meet the rehabilitation and reconstruction challenge of the quake-hit people and urged the civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to share the burden.
"It is a gigantic task and a challenge which we jointly have to accomplish", Durrani said while addressing a relief distribution ceremony here at the Rawalpindi Press Club. Akhtar Welfare Trust provided the relief package for the journalists of the affected areas with the co-operation of RIUJ and the Press Club.
He said the government is committed to exploiting all its efforts, resources and energies for the reconstruction of the affected areas. We will not sit idle till the whole affected areas of AJK and NWFP are rehabilitated", he added.
The people who serve the humanity are highly respectable and they should be given due regard and respect. The whole nation had responded positively at the time of need when the northern parts of the country were jolted on October 8, 2005, he added.
Durrani lauded the role of media in earthquake-hit areas, saying the positive approach of the media had made the job easy for the government and attracted the world attention towards this tragedy.
"We are enjoying cordial relations with media", said Durrani, adding the government considers the media a real watchdog and is taking guidance from it. Only unrealistic and unscrupulous cause hurdles in the task of media. We have good relationship with media and are facilitating it ", he added.
Talking about Wage Board Award, he said that many meetings have so far been held between all stakeholders with the co-operation of the journalists community this issue would be resolved amicably.
He reiterated the resolve of the government saying that it wants to make Pakistan a welfare state where every person enjoys freedom and facilities equally. President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz want to make government subservient to the masses and fully empower the people to take part in the policy-making exercise, the minister said.
Durrani lauded the role of the Akhtar Welfare Trust and said that NGOs should come forward to help the affected journalists. Later, the relief packages were distributed among the affected journalists.