ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan has announced that personal protective equipment (PPEs) will be provided to journalists and media personnel from 25 TV channels.
The announcement came during the fourth meeting of the provincial Information Ministers through video link today (Saturday).
Addressing the meeting, Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that journalists were also working on the frontlines and need protection.
She said, “Safety of doctors and medical workers was the topmost priority of the government. In the first phase, we provide PPEs to them.”
She further said, “In the second phase, the process of distribution of protection kits amongst the cameramen has been started today,” adding that the media workers will be provided with these protection kits in a phased manner in all the provinces.
The Special Assistant also announced that the media personnel will be included in those getting relief through Prime Minister Imran Khan’s relief package.
“We are considering the media as an industry and have included them in relief package that the prime minister announced for industry workers,” she said.
Firdous Awan also said that the provincial governments should prepare lists of media persons in order to ensure their protection. She said that the Centre with the cooperation of the provincial government has started a campaign to disinfect press clubs across the country.
She reiterated that the federal government’s top priority was to ensure the safety of the citizens from coronavirus and mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic.
“The federal and provincial governments feel the pain of the masses and decisions are being taken keeping in view their difficulties,” she concluded.
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