Meeting urges early settlement of PID dues
The Federal Capital Committee of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) held its meeting at Pakistan Observer headquarters here under the chairmanship of Mr. Faisal Zahid Malik.
The meeting was attended by APNS President Mr. Sarmad Ali, Mr. Tahir Mughal, Mr. Khushnood Ali Khan, Mr. Ansar Bhatti, and other senior members.
At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Faisal Zahid Malik presented a resolution condemning the incident of October 2, 2025 at National Press Club, where police allegedly used force against journalists and entered the premises of the Press Club.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the committee denounced the alleged use of force by police personnel against journalists and the reported breach of the National Press Club premises. The members expressed grave concern over the incident, calling it a direct violation of press freedom and the sanctity of journalistic institutions — principles protected under the Constitution of Pakistan.
The committee called upon the federal government and law enforcement agencies to launch a transparent and impartial inquiry into the incident, ensure accountability of those responsible, and implement measures to prevent such actions in the future.
Reaffirming its unwavering solidarity with the journalist fraternity and the National Press Club, APNS emphasized its commitment to defending freedom of expression and the rights of working journalists across the country. The meeting also reviewed pressing issues facing APNS member publications, notably the delay in clearance of outstanding dues and release of government advertisements by the Press Information Department (PID).
Mr. Faisal Zahid Malik raised the matter of long-pending payments from the PID under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Responding to the concern, APNS President Mr. Sarmad Ali informed the committee that the Principal Information Officer (PIO) has assured him that the outstanding payments will be cleared during the month of October. The committee urged the Ministry to expedite the process and prioritize APNS and CPNE member organizations in the allocation of official advertisements. It was agreed that a delegation led by the APNS President would soon meet the PIO to follow up on the commitments made.
The members also raised the issue of dummy publications, lauding the Punjab Government’s initiative to revoke the declarations of over 8,000 fake newspapers. However, concerns were voiced regarding the Punjab Government’s policy of withholding advertisements from Islamabad based newspapers, which the committee termed discriminatory and unfair. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Khushnood Ali Khan emphasized the need for APNS to expand its focus toward the Digital Media landscape, stating that Digital Media is our future, and we must be prepared to adapt and lead.
