Minister initiates registration for working journalists' health insurance

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb launched the registration process for the health insurance scheme of working journalists, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Speaking on the occasion in Islamabad on Monday, Marriyum Aurangzeb said the working journalists can apply for this scheme by filling an online registration form available on the websites of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Press Information Department (PID).

The minister said the process of registration is very transparent and there is no restriction of the sort that only members of press clubs can apply for this scheme. 

She asked the working journalists to start filling the form from today. She said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will formally launch the health insurance scheme for journalists on the 7th of next month. 

She said this scheme is not confined to the journalists of federal capital territory but also to other parts of the country as well.

The Information Minister said under the health insurance scheme, the working journalists will be able to access treatment for various ailments.

She said it was on the direction of the Prime Minister that an amount of one billion rupees was earmarked in the budget for this health insurance scheme.

The Information Minister said the present government has taken steps for the protection of rights of working journalists. Rejecting the propaganda against PEMRA amendment bill, the Information Minister said it is in line with the definition of the UN Human Rights Council and prepared keeping in view the best international practices. 

Responding to a question, the Information Minister said we have cancelled the licenses of more than one hundred and fifty dummy newspapers.