KARACHI, June 24: Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Ghulam Sarwar Khan has stressed the need for unity in the rank and files of the working class in the country.

The minister, who was addressing the installation ceremony of newly elected office-bearers of the Pakistan Herald Workers Union at a local hotel here on Friday, pointed out that Pakistan had always experienced controlled democracy.

“It is our bad luck that instead of strengthening our institutions we have weakened them from inside and personality cult has become the hallmark of the system,” he said.

In the world, he said, progress had been made only by those who loved, understood and practised democracy.

He said media played an important role in the making of nations and in Pakistan media was also responsible for retrogress, as every government formulated policies with the consultation of entrepreneurs, including owners of newspaper.

However, he appreciated the positive role of Dawn in nation-building in which besides workers, owners also played some role.

Referring to the wage board award, the minister said that the Supreme Court had given six weeks to the Sindh High Court to decide the pending case of APNS.

As far as his ministry was concerned he assured the newspaper employees that the court decision would be implemented by his ministry.

Earlier, General Secretary Shafiuddin Ashraf briefed the minister on hardships faced by workers because of non-implementation of the wage award.

Union’s president Azizullah Sharif pledged to meet the expectations of his colleagues.