Journalists refuse meals during budget session: Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Federal cabinet following journalists’ refusal to avail lunch and hi-tea facilities during the budget session and keeping in view the austerity has rejected suggestion of allocating money for MNAs for the abovementioned facilities.

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said this Tuesday during a briefing following the cabinet meeting. She said president of a media organisation phoned her that finance ministry has sent a summary for allocating money for lunch and hi-tea for reporters covering the budget session and they don’t want to avail this facility. On hearing this, the premier said then MNAs should also not avail this facility, she said. The journalist body’s chief said media workers should be paid salaries before Eid, she added. Firdous said the prime minister realises their problems and she was standing by the journalist community and in this connection she has also talked to the owners concerned. She also ensured the media workers that salaries will be paid before Eid.