KARACHI, Sept 2: The APNS provincial committee, Sindh, held a meeting with Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Thursday to apprise him of problems faced by publications in Sindh.

According to an APNS press release, the delegation expressed its concern over the advertisement distribution policy and proposed that the member publications of the APNS be given priority in the release of government advertisements.

It also said the quantum of Sindh government advertisements should be increased and advertisements stemming from or related to works in districts and cities in the interior of the province should also be released to the respective local publications.

The delegation pointed to the consistent denial of advertisements to the Nawa-i-Waqt, The Nation, Daily Action, Nawa-i-Nawabshah, Daily Millat Gujrati, Aghaz and the Financial Post.

The delegation also informed the chief minister that regional language newspapers were not being given due share of City District Government Karachi advertisements.

The delegation drew attention to the long outstanding dues of member publications amounting to Rs70 million pending for last 13 years. They requested that a special grant be approved to clear the long pending bills.

The delegation of the APNS Sindh committee suggested that the Accreditation Committee be re-structured to ensure equal representation of publishers (APNS), editors (CPNE) and journalists (KUJ).

The delegation also informed the chief minister that cases of harassment by police and local administration against journalists in the interior of Sindh were being regularly reported in the press and suggested that a high-powered media committee consisting of the APNS-CPNE and the provincial government be established to look into such matters.

The chief minister, according to the press release, noted that this was his first meeting with the APNS after his induction in office and hoped that such meetings would be held frequently. He noted the problems pointed out by the delegation and said the advertisement policy would be improved in the light of the APNS proposals.