APNS deplores indifference of Sindh govt to clear long outstanding dues
KARACHI: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has strongly deplored the consistent indifference of the Sindh government to clear the long outstanding dues of the member publications for advertisementss released by the Sindh Information Department, stated a press release here on Thursday.
APNS Secretary General Sarmad Ali has stated that the Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society at its meeting held under the chairmanship of President Hameed Haroon in Karachi on June 30, 2010, considered the inordinate delay of the payment of over Rs 360 million owed by the Sindh government to the APNS member publications, which has compelled the APNS to suspend the advertisements of the provincial government in its member publications from June 18, 2010. The executive committee noted with concern that despite suspension of its advertisements, the Sindh government did not intend to get itself restored and had chosen to release its advertisements in the non-APNS publications as well as dummy newspapers.
This approach was not only unethical but encourages malpractices in the release of advertisements. The publication of ads of tender notices, vacancies and other important legal announcements in such newspapers, which seldom appear, would result not only in the wastage of public money but also deprive the eligible parties to participate in the competition for tenders and vacancies, etc.
The EC urged upon the Sindh chief minister to act immediately and advise the departments concerned to release the payments against the outstanding bills of the APNS member publications, so that the ban on the Sindh government advertisements was lifted.
The secretary general has stated that the EC also considered the report of the Advertising Committee and decided to grant provisional accreditation to M/s Firebolt65, Lahore, and confirmation of accreditation to M/s Creative Junction (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore, M/s Repcom Advertising, Karachi, M/s Time & Space Media (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore, and M/s Value Added Marketing Services (VAMS), Karachi.
The executive committee also considered the applications for associate membership of the APNS and through a secret ballot granted associate membership to Daily Express Multan, Daily Express Lahore, Daily The Business, Faisalabad and Daily Jang, Multan.
The EC also approved the presentation for the construction of the APNS House in Karachi. The members appreciated the efforts of President Hameed Haroon and authorised the office-bearers to proceed in this regard.
The EC considered the complaint of M/s Midas (Pvt) Ltd, alleging malpractices by a member publication and decided to refer the matter to the Advertising Committee to examine the allegations and report its findings for suitable action as per rules of the APNS. The meeting was attended by the following:
Hameed Haroon, President APNS; Muhammad Aslam Kazi, Vice President; Umer Mujib Shami, Vice President; Sarmad Ali, Secretary General; Ms Shimaila Matri Dawood, Joint Secretary; SM Munir Jillani, Finance Secretary; Anwar Farooqui (D/Aghaz), Ch Noor Ahmed (D/Asas), Mohsin Bilal (D/Ausaf), Waseem Ahmed (Daily Awam, Quetta), Mumtaz A Tahir (D/Aftab), Arshad A Zuberi (D/Business Recorder), Syed Faseih Iqbal (D/Balochistan Times), Najamuddin Sheikh (D/Deyanat), Najam-ul-Hassan (F/Engineering Review), Aijaz-ul Haq (D/Express), Ms Qudsia K Khan (D/Financial Post), Kazi Asad Abid (D/Ibrat), Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah (D/Kainat), Javed Mehr Shamsi (D/Kaleem), Aamir Mahmood (M/Kiran), Syed Sajjad Bokhari (D/Musawat), Bilal Mehmood (D/Nawa-i-Waqt), Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi (M/Roohani Digest), Riaz Ahmed Mansuri (M/The Cricketer), Syed Haroon Shah (D/Wahdat)and Dr Jabbar Khattak (ex-officio). Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi and Masood Hamid attended the meeting as special invitees.
Source: The News
Date:7/2/2010
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