Information committee meets, stresses transparency
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Standing Committee for Information and Public Relations met with Samar Haroon Bilour in the chair and directed the authorities concerned to ensure transparency in sorting out problems in the department. The chairperson directed for inviting newspapers’ editors to the next meeting of the committee to apprise them about measures being taken for transparency in resolving matters of information sector. The meeting was attended by MPAs including Liaqat Ali Khan, Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar, Secretary Information Imtiaz Hussain, Director General Imdadullah, Deputy Secretary Assembly Naeem Durrani besides officials concerned of various departments. The secretary information briefed the committee about the department’s activities and responsibilities of public information officers. He said that strenuous efforts were being made to ensure transparency in advertisements-related issues and added that the process was open to everyone to check it online. Unlike the past practice of likes and dislikes in giving advertisements, the information secretary said now a committee issued advertisements purely on merit basis. Ms Haroon Bilour said usually newspapers’ workers faced hardships to get their salary timely, so award of advertisements to newspapers should be linked to release of workers’ salaries. - APP