Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Monday said that protecting media workers remained the government’s top priority.
Speaking in the National Assembly on a point of order, he said both the federal and provincial governments are working round the clock to facilitate media channels and address their operational and financial issues to ensure their sustainability.
He further said the matter would be taken up with the Pakistan Broadcasters Association to ensure that no employee loses their job. He stressed that the job security of media workers was a priority, along with improving their service structure and benefits.
Attaullah Tarar said that arrangements regarding job security and improved service benefits for media workers would be finalised through consultations.
He added that steps would be taken to resolve the issues faced by media workers in a systematic and structured manner.
The minister further said that the government would work in consultation with coalition partners as well as members of the opposition to collectively address and resolve the concerns of media employees.
Parliamentary Secretary for Energy (Power Division) Amir Talal Khan on Monday informed the National Assembly that the government was actively pursuing energy conservation and efficiency measures at both industrial and domestic levels under the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Policy 2023.
Responding to questions during Question Hour, the parliamentary secretary said the policy aimed at promoting energy efficiency in industries through the production and use of energy-efficient appliances as well as reducing electricity consumption across the country.
He said that the Prime Minister’s Efficient Fan Replacement Programme was one of the major initiatives under which around 88 million inefficient fans would be replaced with energy-efficient fans through an on-bill financing mechanism over the next 10 years.
Amir Talal Khan said local industries were also being encouraged to manufacture energy-efficient appliances, including fans, motors, LED lights, refrigerators and air-conditioners, to support the national energy conservation drive launched in 2023.
He informed the House that the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) had prepared regulations and rules for certification procedures for energy managers, accreditation of energy auditors and conducting industrial energy audits.
The parliamentary secretary said these rules and regulations had already been approved by the NEECA Board and would become operational after approval from the federal cabinet.
He added that NEECA, with technical support from the Danish Energy Agency, had already conducted sample energy audits in textile and steel industries during 2024 and 2025, including at US Denim Textile Mill and Union Steel Mill.
He said the government was committed to implementing effective energy conservation policies to ensure efficient electricity usage and reduce wastage across all sectors.