APNS concerned at non-payment of ad dues by Centre, provincial governments

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) expresses its grave concern over the non-payment of advertisement dues by the federal and provincial governments despite various assurances by the respective governments.

Mr. Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, APNS, has stated that the meeting of the Executive Committee held on November 20, chaired by the President, APNS, Mrs. Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani, has noted that the federal and provincial governments have not paid the dues related to display, SPL and non-budgeted advertisements which has caused serious liquidity crisis for newspapers to meet their expenses. The members of the Executive Committee strongly urged upon the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chief Ministers of the provinces to advise the departments concerned to release the payment at the earliest. The APNS, in a resolution, welcomed and congratulated Ms. Shahera Shahid on her appointment as Secretary Information for the second time and hoped that during her tenure, the problems faced by the print media, would be addressed and the relations between the APNS and the ministry would be further strengthened.

In another resolution, the APNS strongly condemn the brutal murder of Mr. Jan Muhammad Mehr, senior journalist, Sukkur Bureau Chief of Kawish Group and urged upon the IG Police, Sindh to expedite the arrest of the culprits who have been at large for three months.

The members expressed their profound grief over the killing of innocent people including journalists, children and women in Gaza by the Israeli forces and offered Fateha for the martyrs.

The following attended the meeting: Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani, President, Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, Shahab Zuberi, Finance Secretary, Bilal Farooqui (Daily Aghaz), Mohsin Bilal (Daily Ausaf), Khalid Mahmood (Weekly Family), Muhammad Younus Mehar (Daily Halchal), Kazi Asad Abid (Daily Ibrat), Syed Akbar Tahir (Daily Jasarat), Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (Monthly Naey Ufaq), Zahida Abbasi (Daily Nau Sijj), Salman Qureshi (Monthly Naya Rukh) and Faisal Zahid Malik (Daily Pakistan Observer).

Shahid Saati of Daily Vatan Gujrati ) attended as special observer.

The following attended on ZOOM. Mohsin Seyal (Daily Aftab), Waseem Ahmed (Daily Awam, Quetta), Ansar Mahmood Bhatti (Monthly Centre Line), Fauzia Shaheen (Monthly Dastak), Rukhsana Saulat Saleemi (Weekly Nikhar), Jamil Ather (Daily Tijarat) and Nasir Daad Baloch ( Daily Sindh Sujaag).