ISLAMABAD, July 19: The government on Monday assured the working journalists/newspaper workers that it was alive to their economic problems and would ensure the implementation of the 7th Wage Award.

The assurance was given by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the National Assembly and later during a meeting with the representatives of the newspaper workers in the press room of the lower house.

Speaking on a point of self-explanation following a token walkout staged by the journalists covering the house proceedings, the minister said that a sub-committee comprising Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, himself, two APNS representatives and two members from the journalists' organizations would soon sort out the differences between the two sides and resolve the wage award issue.

He informed the house that the cabinet sub-committee had a lengthy interaction with the representatives of the newspaper owners and the employees' unions and had decided to continue the negotiations till the resolution of the issue.

Mr Ahmed said the newspaper owners had not agreed to the proposed linking of official advertisements with the implementation of the wage award. However, he reassured the house that he was serious in getting the wage award implemented and would not spare any effort in this regard.

Dr Sher Afgan of the PPP-Patriots disagreed with the government policy of holding talks with the newspaper owners who, he said, were delaying the implementation of wage award on one pretext or the other.

He said if the wage board had been set up through an act of parliament then the government must act to get it implemented instead of indulging in lengthy talks.

Dr Farooq Sattar, parliamentary leader of the MQM, called for the compliance of the resolution the house had unanimously passed about the implementation of the wage award. He asked the prime minister to take a decisive action to implement the wage award instead of delaying it by setting up of committees.