Sindh govt to start payment of arrears to media owners

KARACHI: Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has launched the Peoples’ Media Support Programme (PMSP) under which the payment of arrears to the media owners have already been started.

According to the handout issued on Tuesday, the provincial Information Minister was quoted as saying that under the directives of Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, the payment of liabilities to media owners under the PMSP had already been started. Nasir Hussain Shah said that besides launching the Peoples’ Media Support Programme, assurances were taken from media owners that they would not fire their employees and they would make timely payments of salaries of the employees.

Without naming anyone, he said that some people pledged coming up with a media support programme but they did nothing, adding that only the PPP’s provincial government has launched the Media Support Programme. The minister said that through the Peoples’ Media Support Programme actually media workers and working journalists have been provided with security of job as well as security of on time payments of salaries. He said that the process of legislation in this regard was also under way which would be completed soon.

Nasir Hussain Shah said that the Sindh government attached as much importance to working journalists as it does to medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff. He said that the Sindh government had always considered people working in both the industries as front line heroes in the time of pandemic.

He said that freedom of media and welfare of working journalists had always been a priority in every PPP government. The information minister said the present Sindh government is also supportive of journalists and they would be provided all possible support.