The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Punjab Committee, chaired by Jameel Athar Qazi, met to discuss financial challenges facing newspapers, including government advertising, delayed payments and declining revenue in the print media industry.

Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) Punjab Farid Ahmed Sheikh and Director General PID Lahore Shafqat Abbas briefed the committee on the department’s performance, recent measures to address newspaper dues, advertising distribution and media-related issues. The performance of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari and the DGPR team received approval, particularly for their efforts in media cooperation and issue resolution.

The committee expressed concern over the significant decline in government advertisements allocated to print media over the past three months, which particularly affected regional newspapers. It called for a fair share of government advertising in public awareness campaigns to support newspapers and their role in society.

The committee also raised concerns over the delay in IPL payments, which impacted newspapers’ ability to pay salaries and cover operational expenses. The committee urged that IPL payments be regularised and issued monthly within the stipulated time frame along with the immediate clearance of SPL and other government dues, including outstanding payments up to December 2025.

The committee also addressed the issue of advertising business continuity in the event of a publisher’s death, proposing that while payments could be withheld pending legal formalities, the issuance of advertisements should continue uninterrupted. Both DGPR’s and APNS’s legal teams were tasked with developing a clear, transparent, and practical procedure.

Attendees included prominent figures such as APNS President Sarmad Ali, DGPR Punjab Farid Ahmed Sheikh, and DG PID Lahore Shafqat Abbas, among others.