ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday said that it was clear direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan that issues faced by journalists should be resolved on priority basis.

Addressing protesting journalists here in front of Parliament House, the minister said that government would extend its all possible support to journalists.

He said that all of pending dues of media organizations which accumulated during the previous governments and were used for campaign against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sit-in should have been paid in the past.

He said that government had assured that 50 per cent of dues would be released to the media organizations, adding despite the assurance and start of payments the sackings of journalists were continuing.

He said that the government was client of advertising agencies and it was not the source of problems for the journalists.

The minister assured the journalists that he would discuss their issues with Principal Information Officer and Secretary Information.

The minister said media workers were asset of the society and the government wanted to help them out.

He also asked protesting journalists to provide list of journalists terminated from jobs by various media organizations.

The protest was organized by media organizations PFUJ, RIUJ, APNEC, MWO against downsizing in different media houses and job insecurity.