KARACHI, May 22: The executive committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society has sought intervention of the president and prime minister to get the adviser of the Sindh chief minister on information and archives, Salahuddin Haider, to publicly apologise for his “unprovoked and reprehensible” remarks against the chief executive of Dawn.

A press statement issued by the APNS says that its executive committee considered a formal complaint by Dawn against the “reprehensible behaviour, words and actions” of Mr Haider. It adds that the APNS views with concern the complaint by Dawn that its journalists have been threatened by the adviser. The APNS has demanded that this charge should be investigated without delay.

In a resolution, the executive committee condemned the vilification campaign launched by a senior government official, Mr Haider, against the press in general and the Dawn Group and its chief executive in particular.

The APNS has also noted with concern the adviser’s claim that he follows party policy. It has urged the MQM high-ups to confirm whether his behaviour is in consonance with their policy directives. And if it is not, the APNS says, the adviser must be reprimanded by the party and the chief minister.

The APNS has said that a failure to do so would leave it with the impression that it is the MQM which condones this kind of behaviour. “We have no reason to believe that the MQM has sanctioned this behaviour,” says the statement.

The APNS has also decided that, instead of meeting the adviser, its delegations will meet the provincial chief executive directly whenever such problems arise.