On July 27, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said media policies introduced in 2019 were responsible for the financial difficulties facing Pakistan’s media industry.

Speaking at the inauguration of the National Press Club’s website, he criticised the previous government’s decision to cap federal grants at Rs1 million for the National Press Club and Rs500,000 for smaller press clubs, saying amendments to remove these limits were underway.

Several dignitaries, including Principal Information Officer Raisa Adil and club officials, attended the ceremony.

Tarar said the reduction in official advertising rates had placed a long-term financial burden on media organisations. He maintained that the current government does not discriminate against media outlets based on their editorial stance and said no organisation has been denied government advertisements. He added that a dispute involving one newspaper had been resolved through dialogue.

The minister said the government would introduce policies to expand financial opportunities for television channels and newspapers while urging media owners to use government payments to clear employees’ salaries and dues. He also called for a joint employment policy for media workers, announced plans for a compensation mechanism for journalists killed in the line of duty, and directed the finalisation of health card proposals.

Tarar also announced the establishment of a digital lab at the National Press Club, featuring a podcast studio and digital content creation facilities, and said the government would collaborate with universities to provide digital skills training for journalists.

He added that issues relating to journalists’ residential plots, the National Press Club building, travel concessions, and housing projects would be addressed through consultation with stakeholders. The ceremony concluded with the National Press Club conferring honorary membership on the minister and presenting him with a commemorative shield.