Secy info says process of outstanding dues to newspapers expedited

KARACHI: The Secretary Information, Government of Pakistan, Ms. Abida Perveen, has assured the APNS that the federal government has expedited the process of payment of outstanding dues whereas the issues of quantum of advertisements and rate increase were under active consideration of the federal government.

The secretary information visited the APNS House and held a meeting with Sindh based publications of APNS chaired by Javed Mehr Shamsi, Chairman, Sindh Committee. Sikandar Ali Shah, Director General, PID, Karachi, was also present.

Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, APNS, apprised the secretary information that the newspaper industry was facing an acute financial crisis due to non-payment of outstanding dues pending since 2008. He stated that so far, about 10% dues have been paid by the federal government as per directives of the prime minister and urged the ministry to expedite the process. He also stated that during the present government, the quantum of ads has considerably decreased whereas the depreciation of rupee against US dollar has increased the costs of newspapers. This situation needs a bailout package by the federal government.

The members at the meeting pointed out that the regional quota was not being implemented in letter and spirit by the PID, especially the newspapers based in Sindh as well as the language newspapers were grossly ignored in issuance of advertisements. The secretary information explained the efforts being made by the ministry to address the above issues and assured that the outstanding dues will be cleared on priority basis whereas the federal government was considering to increase government advertisement rates to offset the increase in costs during the period. She also assured that newspapers in Sindh will be duly considered in the implementation of regional quota.

The meeting was attended by the following Sindh based members of the Executive Committee and Sindh Committee: Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, APNS, Javed Mehr Shamsi (Daily Kaleem), Younus Mehr (D/Halchal), Shahab Zuberi (D/Business Recorder), Syed Ali Hasan Naqvi (D/Dawn), Bilal Farooqi (D/Aghaz), Rafique Ahmed Pirzada (D/Pak Sindh), Ali Bin Younus (D/Beopar), Zahida Abbasi (D/Nau Sijj), Kazi Sajjad Akbar (D/The Regional Times), Faisal Shahjehan (D/Jiddat), Mangal Daas Arwani (D/Hilal-e-Pakistan), Imtiaz Akhter Qazi (D/Tameer-e-Sindh), Mumtaz Ali Phulpoto (D/Awami Parchar), Syed Akbar Tahir (D/Jasarat), Nasrullah Jamali (D/Sindh), Ali Bux Mou (D/Awami Forum), Iqbal Tunio (D/Jang), Haseena Jatoi (D/Moomal), Faisal Zahid Malik (D/Pakistan Observer), Fauzia Shaheen (Monthly Dastak) and Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (M/Naey Ufaq).