KARACHI, Aug 1: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has flayed the consistent indifference of the ministry of information over pending issues relating to the print media, especially amendments to the Freedom of Information Ordinance and the formation of a Press Council of Pakistan.

In a statement issued here on Friday, APNS President Arif Nizami noted that the ministry was more actively engaged in efforts to divide the representative organizations of newspaper industry than focusing on promotion of a free and fair press in the country.

He said the Freedom of Information Ordinance was rejected by the APNS and the CPNE as illegitimate, unconstitutional and unethical. The draft ordinance was inconsistent and a flagrant violation of Article 19 of the Constitution.

The APNS point of view was discussed at a joint meeting with the minister for information and minister for law on Nov 7, 2002. After detailed discussions, it was decided that the federal government would incorporate the proposals and observations of the APNS and the CPNE in the new rules. “It is gross negligence on the part of the ministry of information that despite the lapse of over eight months, the rules have not yet been framed. This approach suggests that the federal government intends to rule the press with arbitrary laws and deny the right of every citizen to records and information pertaining to the affairs of the government.”

The statement added: “The APNS has also noted that the Press Council Ordinance was promulgated in September 2002, but the apathy of the federal ministry is evident from the fact that no effort has so far been made to form the Press Council of Pakistan. This attitude is not merely an act of negligence, but the information ministry has intentionally avoided to proceed for the formation of the Press Council, so as to arbitrarily curb the press freedom and subjugate the press. The proposed Press Council can only be objective and meaningful if the ministry of information changes its arbitrary approach towards the print media. The centralized advertisement policy, adopted by the federal government, is also a clear manifestation of the dictatorial policies being adopted by the present government. Instead of attending urgently to the pending issues with the information ministry, it is consistently involved in dividing the press.”