KARACHI – Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) Tuesday today Dec 11 staged peaceful protest rally demonstrating in front of Sindh assembly building to press for the acceptance of its demand for direct payment of outstanding dues by the Sindh Govt to the newspapers instead of through corrupt and defaulter advertising agencies facing NAB cases. The protest was participated by a large number of editors, senior journalists, leaders of joint action committee of Karachi Press Club and Karachi Union of Journalists and other media persons. Addressing the rally two dozen speakers expressed concern over Information department of Sindh Govt decision to make payment of prolong outstanding dues to the newspapers through the ill reputed, corrupt and defaulter advertising agencies saying that these agencies received billions of rupees from the Govt. exchequer through Sindh Information department in the name of payment to the newspapers against their outstanding dues but later made no payment to the newspapers whatsoever thereby causing financial crisis to the newspapers institutions. The speakers expressed their fear that the Information department of Sindh Govt decided to make payment of billion to the newspapers through the said mal-practicing advertising agencies which in the past made no such payments after receipt from the exchequer of Sindh Govt.
The speakers drew the attention of the Sindh Govt towards receipt of bulk of payment from the Govt. exchequer through Information Department but later made no payment to the newspapers rendering non-payment of salaries to the newspapers workers and pushing the newspapers into severe financial crisis. The speakers reminded the Sindh Govt that if payment was made through the ill reputed advertising Agencies it will lead to another financial crisis in the newspapers industry. The speakers recalled the Sindh Govt assurances held out from time to time by its various Govt representatives to the CPNE to make direct payment of outstanding dues to the newspapers but Information Department has created hurdle and payment was being made through advertising agencies which would repeat their corrupt practice to swallow the amount in the name of payment of newspapers outstanding use.
CPNE is stick to its stand that since payment of outstanding dues was the sole responsibility of Sindh govt which was bound to ensure that it must be made directly to the newspapers instead of advertising agencies failing which like past the amount would never go to the newspapers but will be pocketed by the agencies. Addressing the rally participants Barrister Murtaza Wahab, adviser on information, along with Imran Ata Soomro, Secretary Information, wholeheartedly supported the demands of the CPNE and invited a delegation of CPNE to a meeting in his office tomorrow Dec 12 to settle the procedure of direct payment of outstanding dues against Sindh govt.
Earlier those addressed the rally were CPNE Secretary General Dr. Jabbar Khattak, Tahir Najmi, Saeed Khawar, Muzzafar Iqbal, Ijazul Haq, Iqbal Ahmad Baloch, Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Abdul Khaliq Ali, Adnan Malik, Faqir Minthar Mangrio, Mian Tariq Javed, Mohammad Tahir, Sher Mohammad Khawar,Zahida Abbisi, Hameeda Ghangru, Ahmad Khan Malik, president Karachi Press Club, Maqsood Yousfi, General secretary, Hasan Abbas, Fahim Siddiqui and G.M Jamali of joint action committee of Karachi Union of Journalists.
Mr. Kazi Asad Abid, Abdul Rahman Mangrio, Mudassar Alam, Dr. Waqar Yousuf Azeemi, Usman Arab Saati, Suhbat Buriro, Abdul Qayoom Khan, Zulfiqar Rajpar, Kazi Sajjad Akbar, Mumtaz Ali, Syed Raza Shah, Aijaz Napio, Haseena Jatoi, Sidra Kanwal, Jaffar Jatoi, Kashif Hussain Memon, Rafaqat Tanoli, Shabbir Mazhar, Asghar Ali, Waheed Mashori, Abdul Wahab Soomro, Javed Shaikh, Obaid Siddiqui, Nasir Naz, Mansoor Korai, Youraj Girmani, Imran Shahzad, Muhammad Ahmed, Qazi Asif, Naeem, Hamza, Mushtaq Meerani, Akhtar Hussain, Tahir Tanoli, Khalid Ghouri, Allah Bux Soomro, Riaz Ahmed Khatri, Jameel Chandio, Suhail Ahmed, Haseeb Kazim, Jameel Chandio, Allah Bux Rathore, Shakeel Ahmed, Imran Korai, Seema Muneer, Aamir Khattak, Aamir Waheed, Aziz Mughal, Haroon Rasheed, Farzana Kan, Saqib Khan, Waleed Khan, Majid Soomro, Mujeeb Sandheelo, Om Parkash, Muhammad Tanveer, TufailKhan, Nasir Khattak and Noor Muhammad and huge number of journalists and media workers were attended the protest.
