On March 09, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notices to the government, seeking a formal response within two weeks regarding the establishment of the 9th Wage Board Award for newspaper employees. Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar presided over the hearing on the petitions filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), and the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA).
The court issued notices to and directed the Secretaries of the Information and Broadcasting and the Cabinet Division to submit their responses. The petitioner’s lawyer, Shahid Khokhar, argued the necessity for the federal government to promptly constitute the new wage board. He highlighted the legal obligation under Section 9 of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973.
These petitions were initiated by PFUJ President Afzal Butt, RIUJ President Asif Bashir Chaudhry, and IHCJA President Asadullah Malik, who are actively seeking judicial intervention to ensure the timely formation of the 9th Wage Board to address the economic difficulties faced by journalists.
