LAHORE: Local journalists and those from other cities of Punjab staged an eight-hour long sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday on the call of the Council of Pakistan Press Clubs (CPPC) and the Regional Union of Journalists (RUJ) to press for their demands.

They boycotted coverage of the assembly proceedings. Opposition members in the assembly too boycotted the proceedings to show solidarity with the protesting journalists who raised slogans and displayed banners and placards inscribed with their demands.

Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri and representatives of the journalists had several rounds of negotiations.

The sit-in was finally called off after a meeting between Mr Qadriand CPPC convener Arshad Ansari and RUJ President Shafgat Husain Gilani.

Mr Ansari and Mr Gilani told the gathering that the government side had accepted all demands of the journalists.

Mr Qadri, after repeated telephonic contacts with the chiefminister, assured the journalists that allissues ofthe Lahore Press Club Housing Society would be resolved in the next eight to 10 days.

It was agreed that the meeting of the Punjab Journalists Housing Foundation would be held in the next 10 days, the suspended devel-opment work in the housing colony would immediately be restarted and the government would ensure implementation of the agreement with those illegally occupying plots there.

It was also pledged that preparation of a master development plan for the F Block would also start within a week. Journalists colonies would be developed at the district headquarters level and all district coordinationofficers (DCOs)would immediately be asked to identify land for the purpose.

Committees comprising journalists and DCOs would prepare lists to arrange for medical insurance of the former, and there would be no official hurdle in providing pecuniary assistance to the needy journalists through the Journalists Support Fund.

Mr Ansari told the gathering the journalists would show more street power if the government failed to implement the agreement.