MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider on Sunday called for early preparation of a comprehensive working plan for payment of pension to elderly journalists as well as enhancement of some other benefits being already provided to them from the platform of AJK Press Foundation.

“I consider myself duty bound to do whatever I can within the capacity and resources of my government for the welfare of the journalist community who have been discharging their duties in the most difficult conditions in this territory,” Mr Haider said at a meeting with AJK’s Director General Public Relations Raja Azhar Iqbal and Press Foundation Vice Chairman Sardar Zulfiqar Ali.

The Press Foundation was raised by an Act of the AJK Assembly in 2004 for the welfare of Kashmiri journalists, fulfilling the criteria of its membership, with a serving AJK High Court judge as its chairman.

The DGPR happens to be the ex-officio secretary of the organisation while 12 elected and two nominated members of its board of governors from the journalist community elect a vice chairman from among themselves for a two-year term.

The current chairman is Justice Sadaqat Hussain Raja while Mr Ali, who is editor of a local daily, is the elected vice chairman.

In case of the death of any member (journalist), the foundation immediately provides Rs25,000 to his family for funerals and later a one-time grant of Rs200,000. In case of death of any of the dependents of a member, Rs15,000 are provided for funerals; Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 and in some cases up to Rs 50,000 in case of serious illness to a member or any of his dependents while Rs25,000 are given to a member in the event of his own wedding or that of his son or daughter.

Additionally, a yearly grant of Rs12,000 is also provided to the children of a member studying in professional colleges.

Prime Minister Haider asked the DGPR and Mr Ali to submit him proposals for enhancement of these grants.“I feel contented that the media persons based in Azad Kashmir have always shown greater sense of responsibility in highlighting the just stand of their nation on the one hand and exposing Indian atrocities on their innocent brethren across the divide on the other.”

He said at a time when most journalists were facing lot of hardships due to salary cuts, retrenchments and other factors and finding it hard to make ends meet, the government will try to do its bit to alleviate their sufferings.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2021