KARACHI, June 23: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has provisionally withdrawn its protest day call for June 25, on assurances given by the prime minister that the issue of ban on government advertisements will be settled amicably, says a press release. The decision to defer the protest was taken at a meeting of the executive committee held in Islamabad.

It noted that the prime minister, during a meeting with members of the executive committee, had stated that a house committee had been formed under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to discuss the problems faced by the newspaper industry, including the wage board issue. The house committee has been advised to consult the parties in dispute before arriving at a decision.

The prime minister also assured that the terms of reference of the committee would be broader to include the problems and conditions of the newspaper industry as a whole.

The executive committee hoped that the house committee would discuss the issues threadbare and would consider the ground realities and conditions prevailing in the industry, keeping in view the new market parameters.

The executive committee in a resolution reiterated that the settlement of the wage board issue was only possible if the Newspapers Employees Act 1973 was abolished or substantially amended keeping in view the proposals put forward by the APNS.