KARACHI: The series of training workshops on journalists’ rights and labor laws in Pakistan continue in collaboration of The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
After Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad/Tando Allahyar on September 11 and September 12 respectively, the third training workshop will be held on Thursday, September 19, in Nawabshah. This program is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
On Thursday morning, under the leadership of Ms. Sheher Bano, the Project Coordinator of the Program a team of senior journalists and trainers will depart for Nawabshah. The program will commence at 11:00 AM at Nawabshah Press Club.
President of the Nawabshah Union of Journalists, Akram Shehzad, and General Secretary Ismail Domki will welcome the guests and introduce the participants. Following this, Project Coordinator Ms. Sheher Bano will brief the participants on the purpose of the training workshop and initiate the session on labor laws pertaining to journalists’ rights.
Expert trainer Zubair Ashraf will deliver a detailed lecture on job security, safety in the field, and related labor laws for journalists. Senior journalist Shahid Ghazali will discuss the decline of the print media and strategies to address it. In the final session, during group discussions, participants will express their views on the challenges journalists face and the lack of rights despite existing labor laws, presenting their recommendations to resolve these issues in group’s reports.
In the second part of the workshop, in addition to senior local journalists, political leaders and government officials will join the session. They will participate in lobbying sessions and focus group discussions addressing the issues journalists raised during the training and their recommendations. Government representatives will be asked for their opinions on solving these issues based on the suggestions provided. The purpose of this discussion is to involve these government representatives and political leaders so they can raise these issues in the assembly and voice their concerns in the corridors of power.
Journalism in Pakistan is currently facing a critical situation, and it is the responsibility of the government to pay attention to the individuals associated with this profession, which is regarded as the fourth pillar of the state. At the conclusion of the workshop, certificates will be distributed among the participating journalists.
