The members of the Committee appreciated the recent decision of the Punjab Government to cancel declarations of 8,000 dummy newspapers, terming it a positive step towards strengthening genuine publications; The Committee resolved that in the forthcoming meeting with the PIO, it would request that future advertisements be allocated on a priority basis to APNS and CPNE members

ISLAMABAD, OCT 6 /DNA/ – The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Federal Capital Committee has urged the Press Information Department (PID) to ensure fair and transparent distribution of government advertisements among member publications and to expedite the clearance of outstanding payments.

A meeting of the Federal Capital Committee, presided over by its Chairman Mr. Faisal Zahid Malik, was held to review issues being faced by member publications regarding the delayed release of advertisements and prolonged pending dues from PID.

Senator Sarmad Ali, President APNS, briefed the Committee that he had already discussed the issue of payments with the Principal Information Officer (PIO), who assured that the pending payments would be released during October. It was further decided that a delegation of the Federal Capital Committee, headed by the APNS President, would meet the PIO at the earliest to follow up on the matter.

The members of the Committee appreciated the recent decision of the Punjab Government to cancel declarations of 8,000 dummy newspapers, terming it a positive step towards strengthening genuine publications. They also urged the Punjab Government to ensure that advertisements are released to Islamabad-based publications without discrimination.

The Committee resolved that in the forthcoming meeting with the PIO, it would request that future advertisements be allocated on a priority basis to APNS and CPNE members.

The Committee also held a detailed discussion on the state of print media and emphasized the need for member publications to enhance their digital presence in line with modern media trends.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Faisal Zahid Malik (Chairman), Senator Sarmad Ali (President, APNS), Mr. Tahir Mughal (Daily Nawa-i-Pak), Mr. Khushnood Ali Khan (Daily Sahafat), Mr. Ansar Mahmood Bhatti (Monthly Centreline), and Mr. Rafey Khan Niazi (Daily Patriot).