DNA

Islamabad – The Ministry of Information has assured working journalists in the twin cities that the long-pending issue of residential plot allotments will soon be resolved. Starting Monday, the scrutiny committee will hold meetings on a daily basis to expedite the process. The ministry has also sought necessary records from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to ensure that journalists who have already received plots or flats in the past do not qualify for fresh allotments.

A detailed meeting was held at the Ministry of Information with Federal Secretary Information, Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Mubashir Hassan, and senior journalists. During the session, journalists briefed the secretary about the allotment cases that have remained pending for over a decade, and expressed concerns over repeated delays and postponements of committee meetings.

PIO Mubashir Hassan explained the reasons behind the delays and obstacles in the allotment process. Federal Secretary Khalil assured participants that the ministry is neither a hurdle in the allotment process nor intends to become one, emphasizing that allotments will be made strictly on merit and journalistic experience.

The secretary directed relevant officials to convene committee meetings daily from next week to address the issue promptly. It was also agreed that journalists who already own a plot or flat in Islamabad, or those who surrendered flats without reapplying, will not be eligible for new allotments. Similarly, journalists lacking at least 15 years of practice in Islamabad and 20 years of overall journalistic experience, or those who have left journalism for NGOs or other institutions, will not qualify.

Participants thanked the secretary and PIO for announcing immediate steps to resolve the matter. A proposal was also presented to include the Parliamentary Reporters Association of Pakistan (PRA) in future committees, instead of “dummy” journalist organizations, as PRA is recognized as a key forum actively working for the rights of journalists across the country.