Talking to newsmen at Lahore Press Club on Sunday afternoon, he said that the government would provide state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to the journalists and their families.

The minister said that families of journalists and members of press clubs in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be given health facilities up-to one million rupees at both government and private hospitals.

Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that journalists throughout Pakistan will be provided subsidized houses under the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.

About country's political situation, the information minister

Replying to another question, Chaudhary Fawad Husain said that government is spending 700 billion rupees on development of Southern Balochistan.

Later in the day addressing the Grand Books Launch ceremony, held at Quaid-i-Azam Library for launching 16 books written by renowned English poetess Farzana Aqib, he said that the government is committed to promoting literature, art and culture in the country.

The minister said the government wanted to put the country on the track where Pakistan could compete the world in literature, art and culture like other sections of life.

He said that unfortunately, Pakistan had been kept behind in literature during the previous regimes.

He said that society would be a sick society where drama, poetry and literature would not be promoted as all colours of life were linked with poetry, prose, drama and stories.

The minister said that the medium of story-telling had been neglected and those experts had been ignored who promoted literature, resulting in a decline of poetry and drama in society.

He said that PTV World was being made an entertainment channel where the medium was English and quality dramas, poems and literature would be welcomed on it.

He invited English writers to come forward and share their works through the PTV World so that Pakistan could progress in this field.