The Information Ministry has disclosed that it can only assist 66 of the 169 needy artistes this year. Despite outreach efforts, major financial institutions have not contributed to the relief fund.
Summary
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Culture and Art Relief Fund lacks needed resources to help deserving and needy artistes as big financial institutions seem least interested in making contributions to the fund.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has disclosed that it would be able to help only 66 artistes this year out of 169 who are in dire need of financial assistance to meet their daily expenditures.
The ministry wrote separate letters to around 15 leading financial institutions last year seeking their assistance for the artistes but so far not even a single organization has responded to the request.
In a recent meeting on the fund, it was revealed the ministry could help only 117 artistes last year for nine months. “The ministry has been paying five thousand rupees per month to the needy artistes but the funds dried up after nine months,” a participant of the meeting told JournalismPakistan.com.
He said the ministry has received recommendations for financial assistance of nine artistes from Punjab, 46 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, six from Balochistan, eight from Kashmir, seven from Gilgit-Baltistan, 16 from Sindh, 57 from Pakistan National Council of Arts, and 20 from Lok Virsa.
“Unfortunately, the ministry has funds to help out just 66 artistes for the current year,” he said, urging the philanthropists and charities to come forward to share burden of the needy artistes.
Key Points
Only 66 artistes will receive assistance this year.
169 artistes have applied for financial support.
Previous year's aid lasted only nine months.
Five thousand rupees per month was allocated per artiste.
Call for donations from philanthropists and charities.
Dig deeper, ask anything — get instant context, background, and clarity.
Disclaimer: This feature is powered by AI and is intended to help readers explore and understand news stories more easily. While we strive for accuracy, AI-generated responses may occasionally be incomplete or reflect limitations in the underlying model. This feature does not represent the editorial views of JournalismPakistan. For our full, verified reporting, please refer to the original article.
June 05, 2026: Pakistani camerapersons face serious risks covering floods, protests and attacks, often without training, protective gear or employer support.
May 31, 2026: May showed Pakistan's media under pressure from cybercrime enforcement, legal cases, newsroom layoffs and salary delays, plus tightened access for journalists.
May 24, 2026: Journalists walked out of the Parliament press gallery after claims that a Geo News reporter was barred from covering proceedings after questioning Bilawal.
May 23, 2026: Journalist Muhammad Saad was released after weeks in custody in a counterterrorism case; he thanked supporters and said he would not comment on the legal matter.
May 16, 2026: KP journalists protested over unpaid salaries and forced layoffs, demanding stronger labor protections and that state advertising be linked to clearing dues.
May 10, 2026: Journalist Imtiaz Chandio faces a terrorism FIR in Sindh after social media criticism of the SPSC, prompting concerns over use of penal laws against journalists.
May 04, 2026: PNP announced winners of its World Press Freedom Day Quiz 2026, a nationwide initiative to strengthen media literacy and awareness of press freedom.
June 06, 2026 Publishers want AI firms to pay for using their news to train models and power chatbots, arguing they deserve licensing fees and stronger copyright protection.
June 05, 2026 Amar Guriro, founder of Pakistan's first AI-powered news platform, says journalism's future rests on human-AI collaboration to improve reporting while preserving editorial oversight.
June 05, 2026 Global Media Brief reviews pressures reshaping journalism, press freedom, AI and platform power, and reports BBC's Emmy, 60 Minutes turmoil and Taiwan's protest.
June 05, 2026 At the World News Media Congress in Marseille, publishers discussed how generative AI is altering newsroom workflows, audience engagement and content licensing.
June 04, 2026 Journalists in conflict zones face rising danger as combatants, states and militias increasingly target independent reporting to control narratives.