PFUJ demands immediate appointment of ITNE judge

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has demanded an immediate appointment of the judge of Implementation Tribunal for Newspapers Employees (ITNE), which is being delayed due to the reasons best known to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

In a joint statement, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi said that for the last more than two years, the ITNE was without any judge. It had resulted in pendency of hundreds of cases filed by journalists as it was the only forum available for redressal of grievances of journalists and media workers against newspapers management and owners.

“This is a highly alarming situation that despite Islamabad High Court directions, the judge of ITNE is not being appointed and the court directions are being ignored,” PFUJ office bearers said.

They added that due to unavailability of judge of ITNE, journalists and the media workers were facing hardships and financial constraints, adding, “Further delay will be a criminal negligence on the part of the authorities.”

They also demanded the appointment of ITNE judges in every provincial capital, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, apart from the federal capital, to provide swift justice to journalists and media workers.