PROVINCE REPORT
SWAT: Secretary Information and Public Relations Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Matiullah Khan, has said that the provincial government is fully aware of the problems faced by working journalists and newspapers and is making every possible effort to resolve them.
He said that the provincial government was planning a number of revolutionary initiatives for working journalists and newspapers, which would provide them with maximum relief.
He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of senior journalists. The delegation comprised Senior Vice President Peshawar Press Club Zia-ul-Haq, former Chairman Swat Press Club Rashid Iqbal, former President Mardan Press Club Musarrat Khan Aasi and President Swat Union of Journalists Shahzad Alam.
During the meeting, Zia-ul-Haq gave a detailed briefing to the Secretary Information about the problems being faced by working journalists, while Shahzad Alam highlighted the specific issues of journalists in Swat.
Matiullah Khan said that the provincial government was well aware of the difficulties confronting journalists and was taking revolutionary steps to address their grievances. He expressed hope that the measures being introduced by the government would help resolve the problems faced by the journalist community.
The Secretary Information said that the provincial government had released a special fund for newspapers and payments were being made accordingly. He added that special grants were also being provided to press clubs to support their activities and improve their facilities.
He further said that the distribution of government advertisements by the Information Department was being carried out in a transparent manner, ensuring that every eligible publication received its due share.
Matiullah Khan said that the payment system had also been made transparent through computerization. He claimed that the introduction of a computerized system had helped eliminate opportunities for corruption and ensured greater transparency in the department’s financial and advertising-related processes.
