By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: A delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) held a meeting with Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil, to discuss the challenges facing journalists across the country.
The PFUJ delegation included Secretary Shakil Ahmed, Vice President Qaiser Mirza, and Federal Executive Council members Yasir Nazar Awan and Ishaq Chaudhry. During the talks, they raised pressing issues such as delays in issuing health cards, ongoing layoffs in media organizations, non-payment of dues, and concerns over the list of plots allocated to journalists under the Housing Foundation quota.
The PFUJ representatives told the Federal Secretary that journalists were under severe financial pressure and that job insecurity had caused significant mental stress among media workers. They demanded that the process of issuing health cards be completed immediately and that a transparent, fair mechanism be established for the Housing Foundation quota.
In response, Ashfaq Khalil assured the delegation that journalists’ concerns would be addressed as a priority and that practical steps would be taken after consultations with the relevant authorities. The delegation expressed hope that the government would introduce concrete, long-term measures to safeguard the protection, welfare, and well-being of journalists nationwide.
