PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has termed media the fourth pillar of the state and urged journalist to maintain balance in their reporting.

Addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected cabinet of Peshawar Press Club here on Wednesday, he announced establishment of media colony for journalists in the proposed Peshawar Model Town, one time special grant of Rs20 million for Peshawar Press Club and 100 per cent increase in the seed money of Journalist Welfare Endowment Fund.

The chief minister also directed the authorities concerned for necessary steps to amend the relevant law for enhancing the annual grant-in-aid of PPC.

He ordered them to prepare a PC-1 for establishment of a digital studio in the press club.

Besides Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Mushtaq Ghani, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Kamran Bangash, Information Secretary Arshad Khan, newly elected president of PPC M Riaz and general secretary Imran Bukhari and a large number of journalists attended the ceremony.

Mahmood Khan announces special grant of Rs20m for Peshawar Press Club

The chief minister said that government was aware of the issues faced by journalists. He said that all possible steps would be taken to resolve those issues. He added that government believed in freedom of media and welcomed positive criticism.

He said that merger of former Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, completion of Bus Rapid Transit project, Swat Motorway Phase-I and other mega development schemes and extension of Sehat Card Plus to the entire population of the province were major achievements of the government.

He said that merger of former Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a big challenge for the government, which despite difficult financial situation completed the process in an efficient manner.

He said that completion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was another challenge, which was completed by the government.

The chief minister said that Swat Motorway Phase-I was completed and opened to vehicular traffic whereas work on its Phase-II would also be started shortly.

He said that Rashakai Special Economic Zone was ready for inauguration and hopefully Prime Minister Imran Khan would perform the ground breaking of the mega project very soon.

He said that government was also working on other mega projects including Dera Ismail Khan Motorway, Dir Expressway and Khyber Pass Economic Corridor.

He added that those mega projects would help to promote mass scale trade and economic activities by integrating different parts of the province.

The chief minister said that Dera Ismail Khan, Jalozai and Nowshera economic zones were already inaugurated whereas progress on other five economic zones in different parts of the province was underway.

He said that government completed the extension of Sehat Card Plus scheme to the entire population of the province in the minimum possible time.

He said that it was a unique project of the provincial government through which entire population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could get free healthcare facilities up to Rs1 million per annum.

The chief minister said that government had decided to include all types of transplants in the scheme.

He announced nomination of late journalist Fakharuddin Syed, who had died of coronavirus last year, for civil award. He also announced Rs200,000 each as medical aid for two ailing journalists of Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2021