Press clubs, journalists’ body receive annual grant cheques

Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon on Tuesday handed over annual grant cheques to the Sukkur and Mirpurkhas press clubs, and the Sukkur Union of Journalists.

He presented Rs5 million each to the office-bearers of the Sukkur Press Club, the Mirpurkhas Press Club and the Sukkur Union of Journalists. The cheque for the Sukkur Press Club and the Sukkur Union of Journalists was received by Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Finance Secretary Lala Asad Pathan, Sukkur Union of Journalists President Saleem Sahito and Sukkur Press Club President Shahzad Tabani.

Mirpurkhas Press Club President Nazeer Panhwar, General Secretary Atif Baloch, and governing body members Shaukat Panhwar and Wahid Pehlwani received the cheque for the Mirpurkhas Press Club.

Memon said the Sindh government has been taking measures to ensure the provision of essential facilities at all the press clubs of the province, adding that resolving the problems of journalists is among the priorities of the provincial government.

He said that apart from the press clubs, the government is also extending full cooperation to journalists’ organisations so as to ensure the welfare of media persons. He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed the government to solve the issues of journalists. The Peoples Party has always introduced policies for the promotion of independent media and for the welfare of media workers, he added.

Moreover, Memon presented a cheque of Rs25 million as annual grant to the office-bearers of the Hyderabad Press Club. He also presented them a cheque of Rs11.5 million as grant-in-aid for the payment of the land tax of Journalists Colony Hyderabad. HPC President Lala Rehman Samo and other senior journalist Ali Hassan received the cheques.