AN
ACT
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(a)
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the Minister for Information,
Public Relations and
Culture;
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Chairman
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(b)
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the Secretary to Government, Information, Public Relations
and
Culture Department;
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Vice-Chairman
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(c)
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the Director, Information;
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Member
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(d)
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a representative of
Finance Department, not below
the rank of
Deputy Secretary;
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Member
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(e)
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President, Khyber
Union of
Journalists Peshawar;
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Member
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(f)
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Presidents of three press
clubs of
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Members
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(AMANULLAH)
Secretary
to provide for the establishment of Journalists
Welfare Endowment Fund in the Province of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the establishment of
Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund in the Province of the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for providing financial assistance to the journalists
working in press, newspapers and news agencies enlisted in the media list of
Government, who cannot afford the expenditure incurred on his own medical
treatment or his family members or expenditure to be incurred on his or their
familymember funeral expenses and compensation to the family members of such
journalists, who embraces martyrdom in acts of terrorism.
It is hereby enacted as follows:
1.
Short title,
application and commencement.---(1) This Act may be called the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare Endowment Fund Act, 2014.
(2)
It shall apply to the deserving journalists of the
Province of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
(3)
It shall come into force at once.
2.
Definitions.---In
this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a)
“bank” means the Bank of Khyber, Civil Secretariat
Branch, Peshawar in whose custody the proceeds of the Fund shall be kept and
invested;
(b)
“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Committee;
(c)
“Committee” means the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists
Welfare Endowment Fund Committee established under section 5 of this Act;
(d)
“compensation” means the compensation paid to the
family members of a journalist, who embraces martyrdom in acts of
terrorism;
(e)
“deserving journalist” means a journalist who cannot
afford the expenditures incurred on his own medical treatment or of his family
member and the funeral expenses in case
of death of his family member;
(f)
“Fund” means the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare
Endowment Fund established under section 3 of this Act;
(g)
“family member” means the dependant spouse, the
dependant children and the dependent parents of the deserving journalists;
(h)
“Government” means the Government of the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa;
(i)
“prescribed” means prescribed by rules; and
(j)
“rules” mean rules made under this Act.
3.
Fund.---(1)
As soon as, after the commencement of this Act, Government shall establish a Fund to be known as the Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Journalists Welfare
Endowment Fund.
(2)
The Fund shall be established with an initial capital
of rupees fifty million and may, from time to time, be credited with-
(a)
Government grants; and
(b)
grants from philanthropists, non-governmental
organizations and any other organization working for the welfare of the
people.
(3)
The Fund shall be utilized for payment of expenses
incurred on treatment of deserving journalists and their family member, funeral
charges in case of death of the journalists or their family members, as the
case may be, and compensation to the family members, in case of martyrdom of
journalists in acts of terrorism.
4.
Maintenance
of Fund.---The Fund shall be kept and maintained in the bank
and invested in such manner as
may be determined by the Committee.
5.
Constitution
of Committee.---(1) Government shall
constitute a Committee to be known as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Journalists
Welfare Endowment Fund Committee for carrying
out the purposes of this Act.
(2)
The Committee shall consist of-
the Province of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to be
nominated by Government for a period of two years; and
(g) a Deputy Director, Information Member-cumand
Public Relations. Secretary.
6.
Functions of
the Committee.---The Committee shall-
(a)
receive applications from the deserving journalists or
their family members for financial assistance or compensation, as the case may
be, in the prescribed manner;
(b)
scrutinize such applications for the purpose of
granting assistance or compensation as the case may be;
(c)
examine minutely the medical reports or claims of the
deserving journalists;
(d)
ascertain the entitlement of deserving journalist;
(e)
verify the family members of a journalist who embraces
martyrdom in any act of terrorism; and
(f)
approve a specified amount for the purpose of funeral
expenses for the deserving journalist or any of his family member, as the case
may be.
7.
Meeting of
the Committee.---(1) The Chairman may convene meetings of the Committee on
quarterly basis at time and place as he may deem necessary which is convenient
for the transaction of its business.
(2)
The Chairman or in his absence, the Vice-Chairman shall
preside over the meeting of the Committee. In absence of the Chairman or
Vice-Chairman, the member nominated by the Chairman shall preside over the
meeting.
(3)
The quorum for the meeting of the Committee shall be
half number of members.
(4)
The decisions of the Committee shall be taken by
majority of members present. In case of tie, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman
presiding over the meeting may exercise a casting vote.
(5)
Preparation of agenda and minutes of the meeting shall
be responsibility of the Secretary.
8.
Extent of
financial assistance.---(1) A
sum not exceeding rupees twenty thousand (20,000) shall be paid to the family
members of a deserving journalist in case of his death or to the deserving
journalist in case of death of any of his family member, as funeral charges.
(2)
A sum not exceeding rupees twenty thousand (20,000)
shall be paid for medical treatment of the deserving journalist or his family
members. The claim must be supported by vouchers or invoices verified by a
registered medical practitioner or Government health authority.
(3)
A sum not exceeding rupees ten lac (10,00,000) shall be
paid to the family members of a journalist, who embraced martyrdom in acts of
terrorism, subject to the succession certificate from the Court of Senior Civil
Judge of the concerned District.
(4)
A sum not exceeding rupees two lac (200,000) shall
be paid to the deserving journalist, who became permanent disabled due to any
reason.
(5)
A deserving journalist, once compensated or assisted
under this Act shall not be entitled to claim for any other compensation under
any other law for the time being in forced.
9.
Audit and
accounts.---(1) The accounts of the Fund shall be audited by the Auditor
General of Pakistan in the prescribed manner.
(2)
The bank shall be responsible to maintain the accounts
of the Fund in the prescribed form or manner.
(3)
No amount, from the Fund shall be withdrawn, unless it
is approved by the Committee.
(4)
Withdrawal of amount from the Fund shall be permissible
only under the joint signatures of the Secretary Information, Public Relations
and Culture and the Director, Information and Public Relations.
(5)
In case of emergency, the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of
the Committee may make payments of emergent nature, which shall be later on,
approved by the Committee in the next meeting.
10.
Power to
make rules.---Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make
rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
BY ORDER OF MR.SPEAKER
PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA
Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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