The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has rejected a consistent irresponsible campaign by some elements in the electronic media to malign the APNS and the print media," stated a press release of the APNS.
Masood Hamid, Secretary General of the APNS, stated that the Executive Committee of the APNS at its meeting held at Islamabad under the chairmanship of its President, Sarmad Ali, in a resolution, strongly condemned the assertion of some anchor persons of electronic media houses in the country implicating the APNS as a beneficiary of secret funds of the Ministry of Information in their petition in Supreme Court.
The Executive Committee rejecting the assertion stated that the grant of Rs 5 crores for APNS House, was a special budgetary grant by the Prime Minister like the grants of over Rs 50 crores for press clubs across the country. The grant for APNS House, was duly utilised which is evident by the magnificent building constructed at Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi whereas the actual utilisation of grants to the press clubs, is yet to be materialised.
The Executive Committee noted that the payment of Rs 30 crores against the dues of government advertising was also being scandalised whereas the Ministry of Information vide its letter dated March 29, 2012 has clearly mentioned that the payment was being made to APNS on account of outstanding dues of its advertising agencies and member publications for the period July 2000 to June 2008. The APNS urged upon the managements of various electronic media houses to stop such scandalous and baseless campaigns against the print media as it was by no means, a reflection of "Freedom of Expression".-PR