CPNE, Sindh govt to chalk out mechanism

Journalist body hopes decision will be implemented to end industry’s crisis

KARACHI: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) members were told on Wednesday that the CPNE and the Sindh government have agreed to chalk out a consensus mechanism for payment of outstanding dues from the advertising agencies dealing with the Sindh government ads.

The members were told this in a meeting in which a CPNE delegation briefed about the negotiation it held with the Sindh Secretary Information Imran Atta Soomro on Tuesday after a CPNE protest outside the Sindh Assembly.

The negotiations were held on request of Sindh Information Adviser Murtaza Wahab. According to the agreement, the CPNE will immediately furnish details of dues collectible from the advertising agencies so that payment process may start as soon as possible.

Soomro had told the CPNE delegation that the information adviser and information department are responsible for clearing all dues as per the promise made with the Supreme Court so that newspapers may come out of financial crisis and start making salary payments to journalists and other workers.

The meeting welcomed the discussion between the provincial information department and the CPNE and hoped that their decisions will be implemented soon. The CPNE Secretary General Dr Jabbar Khattak, who was chairing the meeting, congratulated all members on successful protest held on Tuesday.

A resolution was also passed during the meeting in which members, workers and journalists from the Karachi Press Club (KPC) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) were thanked for their support and participation in making the protest a success.