HARIPUR, July 2: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government has taken steps for welfare of journalists in the province, including the setting up of a Sarhad Journalists Foundation and an endowment for them.

Addressing the first anniversary meeting of a local Urdu daily on Saturday, provincial Information and Broadcasting Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai said the MMA government had started providing financial support to district and tehsil-level press clubs. Mr Daudzai said the government had tried to ensure freedom of the press, adding that it always welcomed objective criticism. In order to accommodate regional papers while releasing advertisements, he said, DCOs had been directed to award ads through the information department instead of issuing them directly.