Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Ahmad Chaudhry has said that to equip the media with modern technology and facilities, the government will introduce a new digital policy soon.

Talking to a delegation of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Punjab Union of Journalists (PUJ) during his visit to PTV Centre Lahore on Saturday, Fawad Chaudhry said that by merging the academies of Pakistan Television (PTV), Radio Pakistan and Information Ministry, a state-of-the-art media university would be established.

He said it was responsibility of the government to side with the poor and “we are standing with you people.” There was a great human resource in the field of journalism, who, however, lacked skills and the government would work to equip them with skills and expertise in respective fields at the media university, he added.

Work was under way for issuance of health cards to working journalists to ensure provision of free of charge medical facilities of up to Rs 550,000 to each of them, he added.

The minister said there was a positive development regarding DTH licenses.

Fawad Ahmad Chaudhry said the government wanted to abolish its monopoly on media advertisements. “Like the past governments, we cannot spend billions of rupees on media advertisements,” he said, adding that the print media, however, would not be left to die on that count.

The Minister said the names of three judges had been proposed for Wage Board Award. Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority would be established so that all modes of media would have solution to their problems at one place.

The delegation comprised President PFUJ Rana Azeem, Salman Ghani, Habib Akram, Imran Khan, Shehzad Butt, Aamir Sohail and others.