CPNE expresses sorrow over PM’s comment

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has expressed extreme sorrow and wonder at Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s alleged attempt to link the freedom of press with advertisements issued by various government departments.

The media body has noted that the caretaker prime minister’s information with regard to the media is faulty and incomplete. “It appears that the prime minister has been fed misleading information about the media,” the CPNE said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Taking exception to the premier’s statement that “the media wants to wage a war for press freedom and wants to get funded for that war by me”, the editors’ association said no newspaper or magazine has ever demanded of a PM or a government to fund it from their personal pocket.

“Government and all its departments depend on the media for their publicity and the money paid to the media on account of government ads does not belong to the rulers.  Rather it is the taxpayers’ money.”

The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) also expressed regret over the undiplomatic behavior exhibited by Prime Minister Kakar during and after the press conference held at the Prime Minister's House, “where his conduct with media representatives was inappropriate”.

“PRA President Osman Khan, and Secretary Naveed Akbar Chaudhry along with other officials, expressed not only concern but also condemned the disrespectful behavior of the caretaker prime minister during the question and answer session with media representatives at the press conference.”

The PRA also criticized the directives issued by the PM to bar some media representatives from entering the Prime Minister's House, calling it an unjustified act.

Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) on Wednesday informed all its member publications and advertising agencies that the Press Information Department, Lahore has issued the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the payment of advertising bills within 90 days.

“The SOPs provide that the newspapers based in Lahore and Punjab must submit their bills of the published advertisements within 07 working days whereas the newspapers from other provinces must submit their bills within 10 working days,” it said.