September 20, 2003	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: Journalists based in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and their children on Friday staged a protest demonstration in front of the parliament house to press for the implementation of the Seventh Wage Award.

The protesters, some as young as two years old, were holding placards inscribed with demands such as “implement the wage award as soon as possible”, “no more economic exploitation of the already marginalized journalists,” etc.

PML-N president Javed Hashmi, MMA leader Liaquat Baloch, Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan and many other opposition leaders visited the demonstrators and expressed solidarity with the journalist community.

They demanded that the government should fulfil its responsibilities towards the implementation of the wage award.

Talking to the demonstrators, Labour Minister Abdul Sattar Lalika held out the assurance that the government would take every step for the implementation of the wage award. However, he pointed out, the case was pending with the Supreme Court and the government would abide by its ruling.

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists general secretary C.R. Shamsi, vice-president Fauzia Shahid and others warned that if the wage award was not implemented soon, they and their families would start a court arrest campaign.

The journalists then marched towards the Supreme Court where they appealed to the Chief Justice to remove hurdles in the timely delivery of justice to the newspaper employees.