ISLAMABAD, July 17: A sub-committee, headed by Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, has been formed to discuss and implement the seventh wage board award for newspaper employees.

The decision was made here on Saturday after separate meetings of Special Cabinet Committee with members of All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and representatives of journalist organizations.

The Cabinet Committee's meetings were presided over by Mr Aziz and attended by Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq and Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Nouraiz Shakoor.

Mr Ahmad said he was appointed as head of the Cabinet Committee but he requested Shaukat Aziz to lead it.

The committee held a three-hour meeting with newspapers' owners and discussed the implementation of the wage board award.

The committee also held discussion with the representatives of journalists after the meeting with newspaper owners.

After detailed meetings with both the parties, Mr Ahmad said that consensus to form a sub-committee had been reached which would discuss the seventh wage board award.

The sub-committee would include the federal minister for information and broadcasting, information secretary, two representatives of newspapers' owners and two members each from the two journalist organizations.

Another meeting would be called after the nomination of members from the journalist organizations and newspapers' owners, the minister added.

"The sub-committee will submit its recommendations to the Federal Cabinet after discussion on the issue," he said.-APP