Shafi Jan pledges Rs5m grant for Mardan Press Club, announces journalists’ welfare initiatives

MARDAN
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations Shafi Jan on Monday announced a special grant of Rs5 million for the Mardan Press Club and unveiled a series of welfare measures for journalists while addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the club’s newly elected cabinet.
Provincial Minister for Revenue and Estate Tariq Mahmood Aryani was also present at the ceremony.
Mr Jan administered the oath to the newly elected office-bearers and congratulated President Lutfullah Lutf, General Secretary Hidayat-ur-Rehman and other cabinet members. He expressed the hope that the new leadership would work for the welfare of the journalist community and uphold professional journalistic values.
Addressing the gathering, the information minister said the provincial government would provide a Rs5m grant for the press club. He added that the government would also undertake the rehabilitation of the press club building and consider including Mardan in the second phase of the Media Society project.
He said the provincial government was addressing the issues of journalists and press clubs on a priority basis. According to him, the journalists’ endowment fund has been increased to Rs500m in the provincial budget, while an interest-free loan scheme of up to Rs5m for journalists is being introduced. He also announced an internship programme for journalists’ children with budgetary allocations.
Mr Jan paid tribute to journalists for their professionalism and courage, particularly during the fight against terrorism.
Touching on political matters, he said the people of KP had given a mandate to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the Feb 8 general elections and had defended that mandate. He claimed that Mardan had strongly supported the PTI and its founding chairman, Imran Khan.
He said the provincial government had allocated the highest share of funds to the health and education sectors and was prepared to compete with any province in terms of governance and performance.
The minister also alleged that the federal government owed KP trillions of rupees in pending dues and said the province would release funds to the federation only on the directives of PTI founder Imran Khan.
Criticising the governments in Punjab and Sindh, Mr Jan claimed that KP’s governance was exemplary. He alleged financial irregularities in Punjab’s “Suthra Punjab” project and said the people of Sindh continued to face shortages of clean drinking water and other basic services.
He further alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were being kept in solitary confinement without adequate medical facilities, calling it a violation of jail rules and the law.
Speaking on the occasion, Revenue Minister Tariq Mahmood Aryani thanked Mr Jan for visiting Mardan and assured the press club of his full cooperation.
During the ceremony, Mr Jan presented a commemorative shield to former Information Department officer Shams-ul-Haq in recognition of his services to journalism and the department. The office-bearers of the Mardan Press Club also presented shields to the two provincial ministers.
The ceremony was attended by journalists, political and social figures, and members of the press club.