PM Shehbaz announces govt will clear newspapers dues on priority basis

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shahbaz Sharif has announced that the government will clear its outstanding advertising dues of newspapers on priority to alleviate the serious cash crunch being faced by the industry.

He also instructed for all dues to be reconciled by June 30. He further said that his government does not believe in political victimization and will therefore clear advertising dues of the previous government.

The PM has assured that the government advertising rates of the newspapers will be adjusted in line with inflation. He also committed that no new taxes and duties would be imposed on the newspaper industry in the coming budget and that the government would consider providing additional relief measures to help the crisis-ridden newspaper industry to cope with the extraordinary inflationary pressures.

He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) led by its President Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Naz Afreen Saigol Lakhani.

The Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Marryum Aurangzeb and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Fahd Hussain were also present.

The APNS delegation comprised of senior members Mujeeb-ur-Rahman Shami, Mohsin Bilal, Jamil Ather, Shahab Zuberi, Ramiza Nizami, Umar Shami, Imtinan Shahid, Mumtaz Tahir, , Awais Khushnood, Waseem Ahmed, Munir Gillani and Humayon Gulzar.

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