Prime Minister assures All Pakistan Newspapers Society of government support to Media Summit
ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has assured the APNS of the federal government support to South Asia Media Summit being held on January-15-17, 2013 at Islamabad, says an APNS press release.
Masood Hamid, Secretary General APNS stated that the Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society led by its President Sarmad Ali met Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and apprised him on the scope, nature and importance of South Asia Media Summit being organized by the APNS at Islamabad. The APNS president requested support of the federal government for holding the mega event.
The prime minister appreciated efforts of the APNS to bring the media of the region closure and arrange a summit at Islamabad. He agreed to be the chief guest at one of the sessions of the summit and announced that the federal government will also provide financial support of Rs.10 millions for arranging the summit.
APNS President Sarmad Ali apprised the prime minister on the issues which were discussed earlier with the Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira wherein the federal government was requested to withdraw or reformulate the present media policy of the federal government. The minister agreed to form a committee of 2 persons each from the ministry, APNS and research organizations to revisit the Media Policy and ABC system.
The issue of long outstanding bills on account of advertisements released by devolved ministries and departments as well as the dues against the advertisements of Gilgit, Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir governments was also discussed in the meeting with the federal minister for information who assured the APNS that the federal government would resolve these issues at the earliest.
The APNS Executive Committee also pointed out that in the year 2011 the federal government had decided that the advertisement rates of newspapers will be increased by 40% and every year 10% increase will be granted to offset inflation. The prime minister assured that the commitments of the federal government will be honored.
Earlier, the Executive Committee held its meeting under the chairmanship of its President Sarmad Ali wherein the members approved the report on the preparations of South Asia Media Summit and unanimously decided that the federal government be urged upon to withdraw the centralized media policy as it would be a disastrous for smaller and medium sized newspapers.
The Executive Committee approved reports of the provincial committees and granted associate membership to Daily Express Tribune, Islamabad, Daily Azadi Islamabad, Daily Khabarkar Swat, Daily Times Peshawar, Daily City 42, Lahore and Daily Express Faisalabad. The members also considered the report of the Advertising Committee and approved confirmation of accreditation of M/s. Brainchild Communications and restructuring of M/s.Firebolt 63.
The following members attended the meeting:
Sarmad Ali, President, Mehtab Khan, Senior Vice President, Masood Hamid, Secretary General, Imtinan Shahid, Joint Secretary, Javed Mehr Shamsi, Finance Secretary, Mumtaz A. Tahir (D/Aftab), Bilal Farooqui (D/Aghaz), Waseem Ahmed (D/Awam, Quetta), Dr. Jabbar Khattak (D/Awami Awaz), Rahmat Ali Raazi (Weekly Azm), Younus Sohial (D/Business Recorder), Humayon Tariq (D/Business Report), Kazi Mustafa Asad Abbasi (D/Ibrat), Mukhtar Aqil (D/Jurat, Khi), Syed Ayaz Badshah (D/Mashriq Peshawar), Bilal Mahmood (D/Nawa-i-Waqt), Mushtaq A. Qureshi (M/Naey Ufaq), Sardar Khan Niazi (M/Naya Rukh), Syed Muhammad Munir Jilani (D/Paigham), Gauhar Zahid Malik (D/Pakistan Observer), Ilyas Shakir (D/Qaumi Akhbar), Khushnood Ali Khan (D/Sahafat), Jamil Ather (D/Tijarat, Lahore) and Pir Sufaid Shah Hamdard (D/Wahdat).
Syed Amjad Ali (Daily Jang) attended the meeting as special observer.The members of the Executive Committee offered fateha on the sad demise of mother of Sultan Lakhani, sister in law of Mehtab Khan and Khadim Noori, DPR, Quetta.
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