The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) discussed challenges facing the newspaper industry — including delayed government advertising rate increases and outstanding dues — during a meeting with Principal Information Officer (PIO) Raisa Adil and Director General Press Information Department (PID) Karachi Irum Tanvir at APNS House. APNS President Senator Sarmad Ali welcomed the PIO and apprised her of the issues facing the newspaper industry.

Ali urged the government to implement the Prime Minister’s promised increase in advertising rates and proposed delinking them from Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) ratings until a new circulation and readership mechanism is developed. Members also called for greater authority for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in setting government advertisement rates.

The meeting also discussed unpaid dues to newspaper publishers following the 2020 advertising policy and called for fairer distribution of government advertisements. APNS members proposed greater autonomy for regional PID offices in recommending local media outlets and updating the government advertising policy, which dates back to 1964.

The meeting was attended by Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani Senior Vice President, Shahab Zuberi Vice President, Muhammad Athar Kazi Secretary General, Javed Mehr Shamsi (Kaleem), Kazi Asad Abid (Ibrat), Younus Mehr (Halchal), Dr. Jabbar Khattak (Awami Awaz), Bilal Farooqui (Aghaz), Fauzia Shaheen (Dastak), Mumtaz Phulpoto (Awami Parchar), Tahir Qureshi (Naey Ufaq), Syed Akbar Tahir (Jasarat), Najamuddin Sheikh (Deyanat), Aamir Malik (Mashriq), Ali Hamza and Muhammad Irfan (Ummat).