APNS rejects arbitrary amendments to draft press laws
KARACHI- The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) General Council has rejected any arbitrary amendment to the agreed drafts on Press Laws and expressed its dismay over the uncalled for delay in the promulgation of these Laws by the federal government and decided to devise appropriate actions to press the government for enactment of the agreed draft laws without further delay, stated a resolution of the Society.
Kazi Asad Abid, Secretary-General APNS, released the resolutions and decisions of the General Council of the APNS held in Karachi on March 16, under the chairmanship of Mr Hameed Haroon. The General Council has noted with concern that the federal government intends to amend the proposed laws without consulting the APNS and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), which would not be acceptable to the newspapers industry. The resolution stated that despite various assurances, the federal government has failed to promulgate the long awaited Press Laws including formation of Press Council of Pakistan, Freedom of Information Ordinance and Registration of Newspapers and Presses Ordinance. This state of affairs was considered by the members of the print media with concern and they directed the new office bearers to take appropriate and concrete measures to ensure the immediate enactment of the Press Laws as agreed upon by the APNS, CPNE and the Ministry of Information and have also been cleared by the Law Ministry.
The General Council, attended by publishers across the country, disapproved the record of present government on Press Freedoms and rejected its tall claims that he press was free and the government was tolerant of criticism by the press. The General Council noted that the sequence of acts by the Government of Pakistan in the recent past, suggests that the government was not prepared to listen voices of dissent and criticism. The actions of the executive are becoming irresponsible and it appears that the early phase of freedom to the print media is over and now the visible and invisible government is out to strangle the press, which is evident from the actions taken against newspapers under the notorious and dictatorial laws of MPO and PPO. The treatment meted out to daily Dopahr, Islamabad, daily Kainat, Karachi and daily Janbaz Karachi is ample proof of the government’s policy against the press. This unfortunate turn has been taken while the government has committed itself to return to democratic path in October this year. The General Council urged upon the President to revise his government’s policy towards the press else it would reflect on the transparency of the electoral process. The General Council felt that the delay in the enactment of press laws was also a part of the anti-press policy of the government. The General Council directed the Executive Committee to document the violations and infringements of press freedoms by the government, and activate the national and international organisations of human rights on the state of affairs prevailed against the press in Pakistan.
In another resolution, the General Council strongly condemned the violence against media-men and newspapers by different groups to stop the newspapers and their journalists and photographers to perform their professional duties. The General Council noted that in recent past, daily Paigham, Sahiwal was ransacked by hooligans, editor, daily Jang Quetta was attacked, the offices of daily Ummat and NNI in Hyderabad were attacked, the distribution of copies of daily Jang was hampered by activists of a political group, the editors of Daily Kawish Hyderabad were implicated in a fake First Information Report (FIR), the lbrat Office in Karachi was targettedly robbed, and the Karachi office of daily Balochistan Times was burnt mysteriously. The General Council noted with concern that such incidents appear as acts of harassment to the newspapers. The members lamented the violence against the press and noted that the governments have failed to apprehend the culprits involved in these heinous crimes. This indifference of the government has resulted in a continuous and unchecked threat to the newspapers and journalists.
The members in General Council noted that the monopoly clause of the PREMA ordinance restrains the cross media ownership to deprive the print media from entering in the field of electronic media. The Council stated that print media groups having sufficient knowledge, expertise, professional experience and adequate financial resources are capable to build appropriate infrastructure for electronic media owned by private Pakistani entrepreneur. The General Council viewed that the idea of cross media ownership is completely out-dated and discarded in many countries. It urged upon the federal government to amend the Ordinance, so that print media groups may have access to electronic media.
The General Council noted with concern that the Sindh government has not cleared the long outstanding bills of member publications amounting to about Rs 100 million despite various assurance by the highest executives in the Province. The Council advised the newly elected Office Bearers to take up the issue with the Sindh government.
The Secretary-General announced that after the AGM, the Executive Committee for the year 2002-03 elected Ms Qudsia Khan, Chief Executive, Financial Post, Karachi on the woman publisher seat.
Source: The News
Date:3/20/2002
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