A delegation of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) called on Punjab Information Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar at DGPR Office here on Wednesday.
The Information Secretary briefed the delegation about salient features of proposed draft Punjab Press and Publication Act 2020.
The meeting has been called as the CM has directed to take print media into confidence with regard to the new act as there was no law to regulate print media and printing presses in Punjab after the promulgation of 18th constitutional amendment, he added.
The information department has enacted Punjab Press and Publication Act after consultation with stakeholders and detailed deliberations, this act will be tabled in the assembly for legislation.
He said the proposed act deals with matters relating to printing presses, newspapers and advertisement issues.
The Punjab government is going to provide one-window facility for the print media through registrar office by putting an end to the intervention of different departments for getting declaration of newspaper or press or resolution of related matters, he added.
The secretary disclosed that Punjab Press Tribunal could be approached against the decisions of information department or registrar under the new law.
The tribunal would be headed by a retired district & sessions judge, he stated. The information secretary maintained that promulgation of this law would devolve powers at the grassroots and the journalists would rather approach district and divisional DGPR offices for redressal.
While welcoming the All Pakistan Newspapers Society proposals, he stated that chief minister Usman Buzdar also appreciates the respectable journalistic norms of the print media.
He also appreciated the APNS campaign for increasing readership and proposed that students should be especially attracted by publishing students additions and an effective internship program for the students of media studies. Meanwhile, the information secretary added that work is being done speedily for early payment of newspapers dues and CM is also kept in the loop in this regard.
Secretary General All Pakistan Newspapers Society Sarmad Ali, Punjab President Khushnood Ali Khan and others appreciated steps for stopping release of advertisements to dummy newspapers and hoped that Punjab Press and Publication Act 2020 will strengthen print media industry.
Punjab DGPR Dr Aslam Dogar, Jamil Athar Qazi, Sadia Sharif, Syed Imran Raza, Usman Shami, Imran Athar, Tahir Mirza, Mumtaz Ali, Humayun Gulzar, Syed Muhammad Munir and Mian Akbar attended the meeting.
