APNS concerned at FIA role, cases against 123 journalists
RAWALPINDI: The Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society resumed its meeting under the chairmanship of Hameed Haroon and adopted the following resolution:
“The APNS Executive Committee has noted with satisfaction that negotiations have resumed between Jang Group of newspapers and the federal government to resolve the ongoing disputes. The APNS reiterates that freedom of press and freedom of Expression are enshrined in Article 19 of the,’ Constitution of Pakistan and all actions in contravention of such freedoms must be desisted from, however seemingly well motivated such action appear to be. The present crisis has posed several dangers of the functioning of Article 19 and negative consequences must be halted with immediate effect. In particular the role of the FIA, following the crisis, as the ongoing de facto administrator and distributor of newsprint for several national dailies must be reversed. The actions of the FIA and police in hijacking trucks and stopping delivery of newsprint intended for Jang Group cannot be set to constitute lawful actions that are compatible with the Article 19 of the Constitution.
“The arbitrary action of the AGPR stopping bills/payments to all newspapers on the grounds that Jang’s dues were also contained in these bills cannot be reconciled with standards of fair play and justice.
“As a consequence of clashes between journalists and the authorities in Rawalpindi, 8 identified journalists and 115 unidentified journalists are being proceeded against by the authorities. The publisher of Jang, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, is required to move over 6 bail before-arrest applications before the relevant courts to secure his freedom.
“With respect to Jang’s tax issue, the CBR is already aware of the problems in computing withholding tax on advertising, where trade discounts are given as in the case of travel agents in the aviation sector. The same trade discount would apply to payment received from newspaper hawkers as is the case with Jang and the rest of the industry. This symmetry be recognised by the tax authorities.
“On the Audit Bureau of Circulation matters with respect to Jang, and indeed the whole press, it may be recalled that as early as 1982 the then President A-PNS, Majid Nizami, had raised with the federal government the issue of a fully autonomous and independent ABC. All subsequent presidents of APNS, and indeed the succeeding APNS Executive Committees, have continued to endorse this demand. The recent crisis has clearly demonstrated the urgent need for such a body to reconcile the discrepancies between the ABC Certificates and publications print runs.
“The APNS appeals to the federal government to demonstrate tolerance, temperance and rationalism in the ongoing negotiations with the Jang Group. Only then will a truly, equitable and just solution containing within it the spirit of Article 19 become a reality for the national press.”
In another resolution, the APNS executive committee has strongly taken notice of the meetings initiated by the special committee of the National Assembly to decide the dispute between the management and workers of daily The Muslim, which are also being simultaneously decided by the courts. It is against the principles of natural justice that any person, including a corporation, may be tried in two different forums in response to a single alleged crime. The APNS appeals to Speaker Ilahi Bakhsh Soomro and the chairman of the special committee, Anwar-ul-Haq Ramay, to rationalize such proceedings and prevent any infringements on the powers of the courts in this matter. The Fourth Estate may not be judged by the legislature. That privilege vested in the hands of the judiciary as per the Constitution of Pakistan.
The Executive Committee of the APNS considered business and organisational matters and took various decisions in this respect. The Members also considered the applications for membership and decided to grant membership to daily Kohistan Quetta, daily Tijarat Quetta, daily Ausaf Islamabad, daily Awaz Lahore, monthly Babloo Babli, Lahore and Monthly Waij, Karachi.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:2/10/1999
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