KARACHI, Oct 25: An emergent meeting of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, has appealed to the President of Pakistan to reverse a “disastrous pay award” announced by the chairman of the 7th Newspapers’ Employees Wage Board and to repeal the Newspapers’ Employees Conditions of Service Act, 1973, which provides the legal basis for such an award, says a press release.

It said the estimated Rs.200 crore pay increase spread over a five-year period has been described by the APNS as “the single largest pay award in terms of volume” in the history of Pakistan, at a time when the industry is “already reeling from the financial impact of the war in neighbouring Afghanistan”.

The APNS has strongly cautioned the president with respect to “a new war brewing on the home front”, due to the creation of a “theatre of triangular conflict and confrontation” that is expected to ensue between government, publishers and the employees as a consequence of this award”.

The APNS has also committed itself to paying “far higher an amount ... (than) a decent living wage” for newspaper journalists, but has declared itself to be irrevocably opposed to the creation of a super class of several thousand non-journalist employees who are all “guaranteed three times the wages of their private sector counterparts.”

The Secretary General APNS, Kazi Asad Abid has released the full text of the resolution passed at an emergent meeting held earlier this week in Islamabad under the chairmanship of President APNS Mr Hameed Haroon.