KARACHI, Jan 14: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has sought intervention of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz against the ITNE chairman, stated a spokesman for the society on Friday.

The executive committee of the APNS, at its meeting held in Karachi under the chairmanship of its President Mr Arif Nizami, expressed dismay over the continued harassment by the ITNE against several newspapers.

The executive committee members noted with concern that the ITNE chairman had been issuing notices and conducting proceedings against members of the APNS despite the injunctive orders of the Sindh High Court restraining him from implementing the 7th Wage Board Award.

The executive committee approved the strategy finalized by its committee on wage board to brave the situation and resolved that its member publications would use all available means to protect their interests.

The executive committee decided to request the prime minister and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for an early meeting to apprise him of recent developments and request him to advise the ministries concerned to stop the chairman from extra-legal actions.

The committee authorized the Wage Board Committee to take further actions, including the option of a protest strike of newspapers after the meeting with the prime minister.

The committee expressed its satisfaction over the announcement of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi to clear the long-outstanding bills of Punjab-based publications against regular advertisements issued by the government of Punjab within seven days and hoped that the departments concerned would honour the assurances of the chief minister.

The committee said that the dues relating to SPL advertisements were outstanding for many years and the Punjab government should also clear them along with regular advertisement bills. The members noted that the DGPR Punjab was denying display ads to regional and small publications.