KARACHI, April 10: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has rejected the federal government’s policy of centralization of media and termed it “an effort to harm the government-press relations”.

It urged the government to immediately suspend its implementation and reframe the policy in consultation with the APNS, an APNS spokesman said here on Thursday.

APNS Secretary-General Muhammad Aslam Kazi, announcing the decisions taken by the society’s executive committee at its meeting held on Thursday, said the committee considered centralization policy of media adopted by the federal cabinet on March 19, and resolved that it was a continuation of “dictatorial policies” of Ayub era.

In a press release, he said the executive committee was of the considered opinion that this policy would not only infringe upon freedom of the Press, but would also adversely affect dynamics of market forces.

The resolution called upon the federal government to immediately suspend implementation of the anti-press policy and frame a new policy.

In another resolution, the executive committee strongly flayed delay in the implementation and enforcement of press laws and noted that despite a lapse of about eight months, the government had not finalized rules for operation of the promulgated press laws.

The committee discussed in detail matters relating to the press-government relations. It decided to form a body under Hameed Haroon to chalk out a detailed programme to celebrate golden jubilee of the APNS.