Islamabad Pakistan : Ms Ambreen Jan Secretary Information and PIO, Mr. Mobasher Hasan attended the meeting of Executive Committee of the APNS held at Islamabad presided over by its President Ms.
Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani. APNS Secretary General Sarmad Ali apprised the Secretary
Information about the problems being faced by the newspaper industry due to non
implementation of the decision of the Prime Minister, Mian Shahbaz Sharif announced at the
end of his first tenure to increase govt advertisement rates. He highlighted the issues faced by the
print media related to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting including constant decline in
the quantum of government advertisements, non payment of current and old outstanding dues,
streamlining of ABC, renewal of newspapers’ registration and functioning of the Press
Registrar office. The APNS suggested that to resolve the issue of non payment of current dues, a
revolving fund be established at the Information Ministry for payment to newspapers on behalf
of sponsoring departments. The members of the executive committee apprised the Secretary
Information about the problems faced by them including non implementation of regional quota,
problems in transfer of declarations after demise of the publisher and establishment of PID
regional office at Bahawalpur.
The Secretary Information assured the Executive Committee that the Ministry of Information has
moved a summary for rate increase to the Finance Ministry which would be processed shortly.
She stated that a meeting of APNS PID joint committee will be called soon to sort out issues
relating to ABC, renewal of registration and related issues.
Earlier the Executive Committee of APNS in its meeting approved reports of Regional Press
Committee, Federal Capital Committee and Metro B publications Committee. The members
approved provisional accreditation to M/s Vibrant Communication, Islamabad and M/s
Resonance Digital (Pvt.) Lt, Karachi.
Later the Executive Committee hosted a dinner to welcome Ms. Ambreen Jan as new secretary
information and to bid farewell to Ms Shahera Shahid, outgoing Secretary information. The
dinner was attended by dignitaries including former PIO Rao Tehseen Ali Khan, former
Information Secretaries Mr. Ashfaq Gondal and Mr. Shafqat Jalil and members of the
Executive Committee.
Following attended the meeting: Nazafreen Saigol Lakhani (President), Sarmad Ali (Secretary General), S.M. Munir Jillani (Joint Secretary), Shahab Zubeir (Finance Secretary), Mohsin Seyal (Daily Aftab), Mohsin Bilal (Daily Ausaf) Waseem Ahmed (Daily Awam Quetta), Humayun Tariq (Daily Business Report), Ansar
Mahmood Bhatti (Monthly Centerline), Javed Mehr Shamsi (Daily Kaleem), Syed Ayaz
Badshah (Daily Mashriq Peshawar), Shakir Ali (Daily Mashriq Quetta), Zahida Abbasi (Daily
Nau Sijj), Bilal Mahmood (Daily Nawa-i-Waqt), Sardar Khan Niazi (Monthly Naya Rukh),
Muhammad Farooq (Daily Pakistan Lahore), Faisal Zahid Malik (Daily Pakistan Observer),
Humayun Gulzar (Daily Sayadat), Imran Athar (Daily Tijarat) and Syed Haroon Shah (Daily
Wahdat) Following attended the meeting as special observer:
Mumtaz Ali Phulpoto (Daily Awami Parchar), Rao Noman Ahmed (Daily Ebadat), Zahore
Dhareja (Daily Jhok), and Tariq Javed (Daily Karnama).
