Newspapers, electronic media: Prime Minister imposes ban on advertisement by ministries and divisions

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has imposed a ban on advertising by ministries and divisions in the newspapers and the electronic media without authorisation by the Ministry of Information, official sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday.
The sources said the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting had complained to the Prime Minister in the Cabinet meeting held on February 4, and requested that all advertisements should be channelled through the Information Ministry, which directly dealt with the newspapers and electronic media. "The Prime Minister informally endorsed the request of the Information Ministry that the ministries, divisions and their subordinate organisation must route all their advertisements through the Ministry of Information," the sources added.
The decision had been taken in the context of the Prime Minister's revelation that the ministries and division were now free to take decisions on their own and without any pressure, the sources added. According to the sources, the Prime Minister observed that provision of employment opportunities was one of the commitments of the present government.
"To streamline and make it transparent, the system of centralised advertisements through the task force on emplacement had been discontinued, ban on employment had been lifted and power of the ministries have been restored," the sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying in the meeting. The sources said the Prime Minister emphasised upon the ministries and divisions to ensure that the prescribed procedures, merit and quotas of gender, minorities and special persons were observed in letter and spirit.