The Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) held a meeting with the Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the newspaper industry, government advertising policy and regulatory reforms.
During the meeting, the Federal Minister agreed in principle and directed the officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to incorporate the digital websites of newspapers into the Federal Government’s print advertising campaigns.
The APNS delegation pointed out that the Prime Minister’s commitment to increase government advertising rates for the print media has yet to be implemented, despite the severe economic challenges confronting the newspaper industry. APNS proposed that government advertising rates for print media should be delinked from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and that the existing rates should remain frozen until a new mechanism for determining newspaper advertisement rates is developed.
The APNS further expressed the view that the authority to fix government advertisement rates should be transferred from the Cabinet Division to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in line with the existing policy applicable to other media.
The meeting also discussed the need to reform and restructure the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) and the office of the Registrar. APNS emphasized that the registration rules should be simplified in consultation with all stakeholders.
The Federal Minister directed the Secretary Information to constitute a joint committee comprising representatives of the Ministry of Information and APNS to formulate proposals and recommend a comprehensive policy framework on these matters.
APNS also pointed out that the existing government advertising policy is largely based on the 1964 framework and requires a comprehensive review to meet present-day media requirements. The Society proposed that client departments should be empowered to prepare media plans according to their communication objectives and target audiences.
The APNS delegation also expressed concern over the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) taking action against content published in newspapers. It maintained that the content published in newspapers and on newspaper websites does not fall within the jurisdiction of the NCCIA, as it lacks the locus standi to entertain complaints relating to newspapers and their websites. APNS maintained that the Press Council of Pakistan is the only competent statutory forum to deal with such matters.
Issues relating to the taxation of newsprint also came under discussion. The Federal Minister assured the APNS delegation that efforts would be made to resolve these issues at the earliest.
The Federal Minister was accompanied by Mr. Ashfaq Khalil, Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting, and Ms. Raisa Adil, Principal Information Officer (PIO).
The APNS delegation was led by Senator Sarmad Ali, President APNS and attended by Mujib ur Rehman Shami, Daily Pakistan Lahore, Shahab Zuberi Vice President, Mohsin Bilal Joint Secretary, Mohsin Seyal Daily Aftab, Bilal Farooqi Daily Aghaz, Ansar Mahmood Bhatti Monthly Centre Line, Kazi Asad Abid Daily Ibrat, Syed Akbar Tahir Daily Jasarat, Shakoor Shah Daily Mashriq Quetta, Sardar Khan Niazi Monthly Naya Rukh, Mohammad Faruq Daily Pakistan, Faisal Zahid Malik Daily Pakistan Observer, Mohammad Irfan Daily Ummat, Humayun Gulzar Daily Sayadat, Rao Amjad Ali, Daily Har Lamha.