The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) have taken exception to remarks reportedly made by Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani about government advertisements to the media and have called for “respectful institutional discourse.”
In a joint statement issued on December 3, the organisations expressed concern over the remarks, which reportedly described newspapers as “dummies” and suggested that government advertising was being “doled out” to print and electronic media.
The media bodies clarified that government advertising is an established international practice aimed at disseminating public information. They stated that such advertisements are issued under approved government policies, laws, and budget frameworks, and that media organisations simply fulfill their official duty to circulate that information.
The media bodies referred to the role of newspapers and broadcast organisations during national disasters, conflict situations, and democratic developments, including support for the restoration of the judiciary.
They called on relevant forums, including the Supreme Judicial Council, to take notice of the matter.
