By Moin Ullah Shah
KARACHI: A delegation of the Crime Reporters Association met Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi in Karachi, where they discussed in detail the challenges faced by crime reporters, particularly employment insecurity and financial issues.
The delegation was led by president Samir Qureshi, while vice president Ubaid Shah presented concerns and demands on behalf of journalists.
Ubaid Shah told the governor that forced layoffs by media houses, non-payment of salaries and delays in clearing outstanding dues had become serious issues for journalists. He said the PEMRA complaints council had remained inactive and needed to be made functional immediately so that journalists in Karachi and Sindh could register complaints locally instead of approaching Islamabad.
The Sindh governor assured the delegation that he would contact PEMRA officials and the Ministry of Information to ensure steps were taken to activate the complaints council in Sindh.
Ubaid Shah also raised the federal health insurance programme for journalists, saying crime reporters worked on limited incomes and faced severe difficulties in accessing healthcare. He requested that crime reporters be given priority in issuing health insurance cards under the new fiscal year programme.
The governor agreed with the concerns and said he would take up the matter with the federal government to ensure health insurance coverage for crime reporters.
The meeting also discussed employment opportunities for unemployed journalists and crime reporters through digital platforms such as YouTube channels and podcasts, along with the provision of basic equipment to support such work. The governor said possible measures would be taken to help journalists become self-reliant through independent income sources.
The governor also expressed concern over rising street crime in the city and praised crime reporters, calling them frontline workers who kept the public informed through timely reporting of crimes, accidents and major incidents.
He assured the delegation that all possible efforts would be made to address their demands.
A statement was issued by Muhammad Asif Khan, spokesperson for the Crime Reporters Association.
