APNS hopes govt to swiftly act on PM’s assurances

KARACHI: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) in a meeting requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to look into the problems being faced by the print media industry and drew his attention to the drastic decline in the volume of advertisements since July and the pending receivables from the federal government.

Moreover, the sharp increase in prices of the news print and dollar appreciation has not only landed the big newspapers but regional and small newspapers into financial crisis, forcing many newspapers to halt their publications.

Resultantly, it is feared that many newspaper workers may be rendered jobless.

Sarmad Ali, General Secretary All Pakistan Newspapers Society, while announcing decisions of the meeting held under the chair of Hameed Haroon, President APNS, said the members of the executive committee have expressed their satisfaction on the assurances given by Prime Minister Imran Khan to extend cooperation and support for the survival and growth of the print media industry. The members also hoped that the federal government would act swiftly upon the given assurances.

The meeting also discussed the issues faced by the newspapers of Punjab and Sindh and decided to call upon the respective chief ministers for the timely redressal of their problems.

The meeting, on the recommendations of the advertising committee approved the interim accreditation of M/S Oak Media (Pvt) Ltd Lahore, M/S Fish Bowl (Pvt) Ltd Lahore, M/S Smart Ways Communications (Pvt) Ltd Islamabad. It also approved the associate ship application of M/S James (Pvt) Ltd. Moreover, applications of restructuring, change of ownership by M/S Roshni Communications and M/S Repcom Advertising were also approved.

The Executive Committee also decided to grant complete accreditation to M/S Gray Matter Communications, Islamabad. The change of the name of M/S Mag Mass Communications to Admax (Pvt) Ltd, Islamabad and interim accreditation of Associate ship were also approved.

While considering the applications of associate membership, the Executive Committee, by way of secret balloting granted Associate Membership to Daily Business World, Karachi, Daily Business World, Islamabad, Daily National Courier, Karachi, Monthly Master Chef Pakistan, Karachi, and Monthly People.

The following members attended the meeting:

Hameed Haroon (President) APNS, Qazi Asad Abid Senior Vice President, Mehtab Khan Vice President, Sarmad Ali Secretary General, Bilal Mehmood Joint Secretary, Waseem Ahmed Finance Secretary, Mumtaz A Tahir (Daily Aftab), Rehmat Ali Razi (Weekly Azm/Daily Taaqat), Humayun Tariq (Daily Business Report, Faisalabad), Shahab Zuberi (Daily Business Recorder), Riaz Ahmed Mansoori (Monthly The Cricketer), Fauzia Shaheen (Monthly Dastak), Najmuddin Sheikh (Daily Dayanat), Malik Liaquat Ali (Daily Din), Syed Akbar Tahir (Daily Jasarat), Javed Mahar Shamsi (Daily Kaleem), Muhammad Shamim (Daily Kawish), Syed Ayaz Badshah (Daily Mashreq, Peshawar), Syed Mumtaz Ahmed Shah (Daily Mashreq, Lahore), Sardar Khan Niazi (Monthly Naya Rukh), Rukhsana Saulat Saleemi (Weekly Nikhar), Umar Mujeeb Shami (Daily Pakistan, Lahore), Syed Muhammad Munir Jilani (Daily Paigham), Faisal Zahid Malik (Daily Pakistan Observer), Owais Khushnud (Daily Sahafat, Islamabad), Humayun Gulzar (Daily Sayadat), Jameel Athar (Daily Tijarat), Shahid Mehmood (Daily Tijarati Rehbar), Syed Haroon Shah (Daily Wahdat), Javed Ahmed (Daily Aitemad, Quetta), while Kashif Saeed, Neelofer Patel, Tahir Mughal, Muhammad Owais Razi and Sajid Nazir were in attendance as special delegates.