LAHORE: The Punjab government has formulated a mechanism to make prompt payments to the publications and draft legislation in this regard has already been forwarded to the cabinet for approval.
According to the new mechanism, publications will be paid directly after deduction of the agency commission, Punjab government spokesman Mohammad Ahmed Khan told Punjab Committee meeting of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE). “As a matter of principle, newspapers should be released their payments immediately,” he said, and added that the government is already considering a system to ensure fair and transparent distribution of advertisements.
Punjab Director General Public Relations Shahid Iqbal informed the meeting that he had released payments of around Rs 2.19 billion to different newspapers on account of advertisements since assuming his office. He said more payments will be made in the coming weeks.
Earlier, CPNE President Zia Shahid informed the meeting about his supplications in the Supreme Court on behalf of the council. “We clarified that CPNE is a representative body of the newspaper editors, which according to its constitution has right to submit suggestions and proposals with regard to the mechanism of fair distribution of government advertisements and the legislation required for the purpose,” he said.
He further said that the advertising agencies were not making payments to the publications despite receiving their total outstanding dues from the government due to which the newspaper industry was in severe crises.
CPNE Secretary General Aijazul Haq said the Punjab government had won the hearts of the whole newspaper community by accepting its demand of directly paying the publications 85 percent of the total advertisement dues after deducting 15 percent of agency commission. He said the information regarding distribution of advertisement and the payments released should also be displayed on the website.
The meeting regretted that some elements had used the CPNE platform to protect their personal interests as well as the corruption of some wrongdoers. It was asserted that CPNE was the supreme organization of the newspaper editors and that no one can be allowed to use the platform for personal gains.
It was also conceded that by using CPNE’s platform huge financial benefits had been reaped in the past which caused massive damage to the small and regional publications and professional journalists. The meeting reiterated not to compromise on freedom of expression and rights of the journalists.
The meeting also decided to form a committee to investigate the malpractices of the past and fix the responsibility. Show-cause notices have been issued to individuals who used CPNE’s platform for their personal gains and interests and they have been instructed to file their response within a week otherwise disciplinary action would be taken against them, the meeting was informed.
Chairman Punjab Committee Rehmat Ali Raazi chaired the meeting. CPNE’s President Zia Shahid, Secretary General Aijazul Haq, Senior members Arif Nizami, Baber Nizami, Ayaz Khan, Irshad Arif, Ali Ahmed Dhilloon, Zulfiqar Rahat, Tanveer Shaukat, Waqas Tahir Farooq, Mozzam Fakhar, Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, Kazim Khan, Nasheed Raee, Bedar Sarmadi, Ghazi Shahid Rasheed, Muneer Ahmed Nolakha, Bashir Khan, Akamal Chohan, Mehtab Sherwani, Aslam Mian, Sardar Abid Aleem, Syed Mohsin Zanjani and Hafeezullah Shah also attended.
Published in Daily Times, April 20th 2018.
