LAHORE, May 6: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has welcomed the decision of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi to raise the provincial government’s advertisement budget by 100 per cent and his directive to have the long outstanding dues of newspapers cleared by June 30.

In a press statement on Tuesday, All Pakistan Newspapers Society secretary-general Mohammad Aslam Kazi said the APNS executive committee which met in Lahore under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Arif Nizami, thanked the chief minister for accepting the All Pakistan Newspapers Society request to increase the quantum of the provincial government advertising budget and pay off dues relating to special supplements.

The committee also reaffirmed its earlier decision of rejecting the new media policy and urged the government to immediately withhold its implementation. The members in a resolution demanded that a new media policy be framed in consultation with the APNS.

The executive committee also appointed a tariff commission, whose members would be announced later, to review the rate structure of government commercial organizations.

The committee thanked the Punjab chief minister for his hospitality.