Journalists urge early allotment of reserved housing plots

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2026) Journalists on Thursday urged the government to expedite the allotment of residential plots reserved for media professionals, telling a Senate committee that delays stretching over more than a decade had left hundreds of eligible applicants waiting despite repeated assurances.

The issue came under discussion at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, where officials from the Ministry briefed members on the policy governing the quota reserved for journalists and media workers under the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA).

The ministry informed the committee that when the housing schemes were launched in 2015, separate quotas of two percent each had been reserved for journalists and media workers. In the second phase, however, the quota for each category was reduced to one percent.

Officials said the first phase was the only FGEHA scheme implemented on a "first come, first served" basis, adding that the policy had been approved by the federal cabinet through the Ministry of Housing.

The committee was told that journalists seeking allotment were required to have at least 20 years of professional experience, including 15 years of continuous service in the either any one of the twin cities Rawalpindi or Islamabad, full-time employment with a publication on the Central Media List for at least three years, and no previous allotment of a government plot by development authorities such as the Capital Development Authority.

Officials said Phase-I comprised around 152 plots, while another 85 plots had been reserved under Phase-II, taking the total number allocated for journalists to approximately 237.

According to the ministry, a selection committee comprising senior bureaucrats and experienced journalists, including representatives of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the National Press Club, finalised its recommendations and submitted them to the housing authority in January 2024.

However, implementation was halted after complaints were filed before the Federal Ombudsman challenging the "first come, first served" policy.

Officials said the Ombudsman ruled that the policy violated the principle of equal opportunity, observing that senior journalists could be disadvantaged if they were unable to apply immediately because of financial constraints or because they were abroad.

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The President, acting as the appellate authority, later upheld the Ombudsman's decision.

The ministry informed the committee that it was now preparing a fresh summary through the Ministry of Housing to amend the policy while simultaneously initiating the selection process for Phase-II, which would be based on seniority by age instead of the earlier policy.

Officials also proposed constituting a new selection committee with the participation of neutral senior journalists nominated through consensus among representative media organisations, including different PFUJ factions and beat associations.

Journalist representatives, however, criticised as repeated delays since 2015, arguing that several committees had been formed over the years without producing any tangible results.

They maintained that the ministry already possessed nominations from representative bodies and therefore had no justification for delaying notification of the committee.

He said the Ombudsman had ruled in their favour after documentary evidence confirmed those commitments.

The representative argued that only a small number of applications remained disputed and suggested the authorities proceed with allotments for the remaining eligible applicants instead of delaying the entire process.

Journalists also warned that prolonged delays could jeopardise the reserved quota, saying the housing authority was awaiting payments from successful applicants and that further postponement could risk the lapse of the allocation.

Responding to the concerns, ministry officials said two applicants had already obtained plots through court orders and assured the committee that the remaining eligible cases linked to the earlier litigation would also be honoured.

They maintained that there was no administrative hurdle in constituting the selection committee and reiterated that consultations with journalists' representative bodies would be held before finalising the process.

Some committee members also suggested increasing the quota reserved for journalists, but ministry officials said any such change would require approval through a revised cabinet policy.

Later, a subcommittee was constituted comprising Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi, Jan Muhammad and representatives from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and journalists to sort out the matter in one month.