The APNS strongly flays the imposition of centralization of advertisements policy by the Federal Government and terms it a bureaucratic attempt to curb freedom of press.
Hameed Haroon, President and Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, APNS on behalf of the APNS Executive Committee, have stated that "The bureaucrats in the Information Ministry for the last few years, have perpetually initiated schemes to control and subjugate the media. Such schemes were embodied in the Media Regulatory Authority, Media Courts, Media Policy etc. and had been completely rejected by the stakeholders in the media.
"Now, the Prime Minister Secretariat has issued a centralization policy directing all advertisements of Federal Government to be issued through PID and the sponsoring organizations have been barred to select their media as per their requirements.
"The APNS reiterates that this policy would result in centralization of the decision making process of all ministries, departments and autonomous bodies in the hands of a few individuals and will wreck havoc on the independent functioning of these institutions. The policy will negate the independence of the departments in their choice of communication through their selected media and in fact result in taking over the entire functioning of all state institutions.
"The policy is heavily based on the scheme of centralization of advertisements enacted by the dictatorial regime of Gen. Ayub Khan in July 1966. With each change of government the information bureaucracy has attempted to implement this outdated and archaic policy. The APNS has noted that in past, such efforts to control the media, were strongly rejected by the media organizations because it would be used as a tool of twisting media arms and curb its independence.
"The APNS Office Bearers requested the Prime Minister to review and withdraw the order issued by the Prime Minister Secretariat in the interest of an independent and objective media in the country."-PR
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