Some protest: Release of grant to APNS hailed

Prime Minister Gilani has ordered release of Rs300 million grant to APNS.

LAHORE: The convener of regional press committee of the All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Mumtaz Ahmed Tahir, welcomed the release of a Rs300 million grant to APNS by Prime Minister Gilani for the development of small and regional newspapers. In a statement, he said the premier had announced the establishment of this fund while the information minister later clarified that the grant was given to steer the newspaper industry out of the current financial crisis. However, Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists, National Press Club and PRA protested the PM’s decision and staged a walkout from the press gallery while the joint session of parliament was ongoing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2012.