LAHORE: The federal government, since 1990, has included 213 daily newspapers and magazines in the Central Media List on the recommendation of the Punjab government.

Law Minister Raja Basharat said this while answering a question by MPA Zahid Mehmood Goraya here on Wednesday in the Punjab Assembly.

Goraya also asked the minister to disclose the actual value of advertisements given to these daily newspapers and magazines during the above-mentioned period.

The minister said the provincial government has no power to register any newspaper or magazine in the Central Media List, but Goraya insisted that powers to do so were given to the provincial governments in the concurrent list of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The minister answering the supplementary question said that the federal government had signed an agreement with the All Pakistan Newspapers Society according to which no daily newspaper or magazine was bound to disclose its circulation to the government.

Meanwhile, Khalid Javed Warraich, MPA from the opposition benches, pointed out the lack of quorum after which the chair ordered a count and later adjourned the House for half an-hour. Later the House resumed deliberations at about 11.00 a.m.

Source: Business Recorder

Date:5/6/1999