ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists has asked its affiliated unions to complete by Wednesday the signature campaign for “Free media for fair polls”.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the PFUJ said the struggle for freedom of the press and freedom of expression would continue till the acceptance of its major demands.

The PFUJ and All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (Apnec) called upon President Pervez Musharraf to constitute the 8th Wage Board and link its implementation with government advertisements.

Referring to a statement made by the president in London in which he asked journalists why were they not protesting for the wage award, the PFUJ and Apnec said: “It is the responsibility of the government to implement the law of the land. We have been protesting for seven years but it is his government which facilitated newspaper owners and provided them relief.”

“If the president is really sincere to get the wage award implemented, he should issue directives and also constitute the 8th Wage Award, which is the legal requirement,” the statement said.

It rejected the president’s claim about increase in salaries of journalists and said: “A majority of journalists and non-journalists are still working on contract, without appointment letters and on salaries fixed seven years back.”