APNS concerned over suspension of government advertisements to member publications
KARACHI- The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has expressed its concern over curtailment or suspension of government advertisements to certain publications on the whims and wishes of the federal government and the Information Ministry.
APNS Secretary General Muhammad Aslam Kazi announced the decisions taken by the executive committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society at its meeting held on July 29th, 2003 under the chairmanship of its President Arif Nizami.
He said that the executive committee, while discussing the advertisement policy of the government has noted the complaints of some member publications that despite high claims of press freedom, the government has suspended or curtailed the flow of advertisements to some member publications.
The APNS executive committee was of the considered opinion that the policy to use advertisements as a lever not only infringes upon the concepts of freedom of the press, but also negates the democratic posture of the government according to which it has made a clear break from the discriminatory media policies of its predecessors.
A resolution passed at the meeting called upon the federal government to ensure equitable distribution of government advertisements to all genuine publications, including Daily Dopehr, Islamabad, Daily Ausaf, Islamabad and Monthly Shahrag-e-Pakistan, Lahore.
The executive committee discussed in detail matters relating to Press-Government relations and noted that despite an announcement by the Punjab chief minister, the increase in the advertisement budget has not yet been implemented.
It was also noted that the assurance to clear the SPL outstanding is yet to be honoured by the Punjab government.
The executive committee has strongly condemned the police excesses against Khalid Mahmood Shah, editor, Monthly Shahrag-e-Pakistan, wherein he was harassed and threatened with the consequences if he continue to publish material against the government.
The executive committee noted that the action was in violation of the press freedom as enshrined in the Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The APNS president was requested to take up the issue with the Punjab chief minister.
The executive committee welcomed the decision of the Federal Cabinet to allow newspaper publishers to set up TV Channels and withdraw the ban on cross media ownership of electronic media.
The members hoped that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance would be suitably amended to incorporate the decision in letter and spirit.
The committee was of the opinion that the decision would only become meaningful if the tariff was reduced and made compatible with the market.
The executive committee considered the report of the scrutiny-cum-enrolment committee and decided to grant full membership to daily Azadi Swat, daily Beopar Karachi, daily Dawn, Islamabad, daily Dopehr, Islamabad, Nida-e-Millat, Weekly, Lahore, Monthly Spider, Karachi, daily Koshish, Hyderabad, daily Tijarat, Quetta, daily Shaam, Hyderabad and daily Pak Sindh, Sukkur.
The executive committee also decided to confirm accreditation of Oasis Advertising and Communications, Karachi.
Those who attended the meeting included APNS President Arif Nizami, Senior Vice President Syed Faseih Iqbal, Secretary General Muhammad Aslam Kazi, Union Secretary Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi, Finance Secretary Waqar Yousuf Azeemi, Wasim Ahmed (daily Awam, Quetta), Dr Jabbar Khattak (daily Awami Awaz), Anwar Farooqui (daily Aghaz), Arshad A. Zuberi (daily Business Recorder), Abdul Rashid Ghazi (daily Business Report), Najmuddin Sheikh (daily Deyanat), Hoshang Master (daily Dawn), Iqbal Sidhu (daily Din), Kazi Asad Abid (daily Ibrat), Syed Sarmad Ali (daily Jang), Javed Mehr Shamsi (daily Kaleem), Aamir Mahmood (daily Kiran), Mohammad Ibrahim Ghauri (monthly Mystery Magazine), Qutubuddin (daily Pakistan, Lahore), Ilyas Shakir (daily Qaumi Akhbar), Khalid Mahmood Shah (monthly Shahrag-e-Pakistan), Riaz Ahmed Mansuri (monthly The Cricketer) and Umer Shehzad (daily Wahdat Peshawar).
Source: Business Recorder
Date:7/30/2003
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