ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has condemned the arbitrary dismissal of journalists by certain media houses without prior notice, stating that the matter will be taken up with media owners in a meeting scheduled for next week.
Addressing the National Assembly session on Wednesday, Tarar revealed that several media organizations had recently terminated multiple employees — including working journalists — without notice, explanation, or advance salary payments.
He said the government is ensuring timely payments to media organizations and has repeatedly urged the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) to ensure that these payments benefit media workers and journalists directly. “An important meeting with PBA and APNS has already been scheduled for next week to address these issues,” he added.
The minister further said that journalists who were recently dismissed from the Nukta platform will be reinstated within 48 hours. “The government has finalized relevant regulations and legislation to safeguard journalists’ rights,” he announced.
Tarar mentioned that a delegation of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) — including Afzal Butt, Mazhar Abbas, Asif Bashir Chaudhry, Sahibzada Zulfiqar, and Nayyir Ali — met him earlier in the day. During the meeting, it was agreed that PFUJ would submit a Charter of Demands, which would be discussed with media owners next week to find a long-term solution.
He noted that mechanisms already exist to protect the rights of employees in print and electronic media — such as the Implementation Tribunal for the Newspapers’ Employees (ITNE) and the Council of Complaints at PEMRA, which includes PFUJ representatives. However, he admitted that there is currently no such mechanism for digital media workers, a gap the government intends to address soon.
Commenting on the attack on the National Press Club (NPC), Tarar said he had taken a firm stance at the time, describing the incident as “an attack on my own home.” He confirmed that the Ministry of Interior’s report on the incident will be submitted by tomorrow, after which further steps will be taken jointly to resolve the matter.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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