Journalists walkout of joint sitting against blockade of grants

ISLAMABAD, (SANA): The journalists staged a walk out from the press gallery during the joint sitting of the parliament on Monday against the blockade of the grants of the News Agencies by the government, non payments of salaries to workers of various media houses, threats and torture incidents on media persons.
Meanwhile opposition has shown concerned over the neglecting behaviour of the government.
Federal Minister for Information and Broad Casting Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that she would lead the protest of the media if failed to address the problems of media, adding that government would address all the problems faced by media.

As parliament resumed its joint session journalists present in the press gallery walked out as protest against the blockade of the grants to South Asian News Agency (SANA) and Independent News Pakistan (INP) by the government, non payments of salaries to workers of various media houses, threats and torture incidents on media persons.
After the walkout Federal Minister for Information and Broad Casting Firdous Ashiq Awan and Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio came to the press lounge and assured the media that government would address all the problems faced by journalists and their organizations during the current session of the parliament.
They said that the issue of the non payments of the salaries would be raised before the owners of the media groups, adding that a committee has been constituted consisting of the heads of journalists organization.
President National Press Club Faisal Farooq Khan, President Union of Journalists Waqar Satti, President Parliamentary reporters Association Siddiq Sajid and senior journalist Mateen Haider, informed the Ministers in writing about the problems faced by media.
Information Minister said that she is aware of the importance of protest of journalists, adding that she would lead the protest if failed to address the problems.
she said that government would address the issue of respective News Agencies as soon as possible, adding that no one has right to target the media organizations. I would raise the issue high forum, she added.