10 February 2005	Thursday	30 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: The Senate on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution during the government to take immediate steps for the implementation of the Seventh Wage Board Award for newspaper employees.

The resolution, read out by the leader of opposition, Mian Raza Rabbani, on behalf of all parliamentary groups, also asked the government to link government advertisements with the implementation of the award.

After speeches by several opposition Senators, Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said the award was the right of journalists and the government was making all efforts to ensure its implementation.

The minister said he was ready to take steps to link advertisements with the implementation of the award, but he was of the view that it would not have a big impact because newspapers were getting a lot of advertisements from multi- national companies.

Sheikh Rashid also said that if the government stopped advertisements to newspapers, opposition parties would support owners who would raise the issue of press freedom. He said he had sent a summary to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about the wage award.

The minister suggested that a committee including opposition members be formed to hold talks with the APNS and CPNE on the matter.