CPNE urges Punjab govt to play role in resolving financial crisis of media industry

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has once again urged the government to release outstanding dues of newspapers and publications.

A meeting of the CPNE Punjab Committee was held with Editor-in-Chief 92 Newspaper Muhammad Haider Amin in chair at Daily Times’ office on Tuesday.

All the participants were unanimous in their demand that the government must ensure timely payment of the ads keeping in view the ongoing financial crisis of the media industry.

“The government must be aware of its responsibilities and it should play its role during this hard time being faced by the media industry,” the members of CPNE Punjab Committee said.

All the editors were of the view that they will resist the dictatorial laws being imposed by the government with full force. "We have bravely fought the dictatorships of Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq and we’ll also fight this time for the sake of press freedom," they added.

Read more: CPNE passes resolution to ‘protect’ freedom of press

There will be no compromise at all as far as the freedom of the press is concerned, the CPNE members said.

The CPNE provincial committee also deliberated on the proposed ‘Punjab Press and Publication Bill 2020’. The members were of the view that they will not accept any legislation on press laws that will be done without taking into confidence all the stakeholders.

Moreover, the provincial committee also recommended associate membership of Punjab CPNE to 21 new publications across the province.

The meeting was attended by Group Editor Express Ayaz Khan, Group Editor 92 News Irshad Ahmad Arif, Editor-in-Chief 92 Muhammad Haider Amin, Managing Director Daily Times Kazim Khan, Managing Editor Pakistan Today Yousaf Nizami, Editor Daily Ghareeb Tanveer Shaukat, Chief Editor Daily Taqat Muhammad Owais Raazi, Executive Editor Jehan Pakistan Zia Tanoli, Chief Editor Daily Hot Line Zulfiqar Ahmed Rahat, Chief Editor Daily Leader Lahore Ali Ahmed Dhiloon, Chief Editor Daily Wafa Bahawalpur Muhammad Akmal Chohan, Chief Editor Daily Soorat-e-Hal Zubair Mehmood, Chief Editor Daily Jehan Numa, Editor Sang-e-Meel Multan Imtiaz Roohani, Group Editor Daily Saadat Usman Ghani, and others from Punjab were present on the occasion.