In a meeting of the CPNE Standing Committee, President Irshad Ahmad Arif said that print media has a well-established significance and is the torchbearer of responsible journalism. However, the impact of government complaints regarding social media is also falling on mainstream media, and its freedom is facing severe threats. Disciplinary actions are being taken against media organizations and journalists. On one hand, according to government claims, the country is on the path of development, but due to the government’s neglect, print media is increasingly deteriorating.
He further mentioned that due to the shrinking budgets of the private industrial and economic sectors, print media is more dependent on government advertisements, which subjects it to pressure. Therefore, to cope with this situation, newspapers should benefit from digital technology and take steps in line with modern requirements.
Senior Vice President Anwar Sajidi stated that print media is currently facing a very serious crisis. The onslaught of social media has put traditional journalism to a tough test. In Balochistan, print media is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history.
General Secretary Aijaz ul-Haq stated that the correct solution to the crisis facing print media is possible only if the problems are correctly identified. Government advertisements are the backbone of print media, but all governments have used the withholding of advertisements as a weapon to exert pressure on print media. He informed that the federal government has started paying government advertisements directly into newspapers’ bank accounts. The Punjab government is also working on this formula, which is encouraging. He also mentioned that the Sindh government is conducting an audit of the budgeted/non-budgeted advertisements for the past seven years, which will be completed by the end of this month.
He further mentioned that amendments in the PEPA rules have led to tender advertisements being displayed only on websites. This has not been done in consultation with stakeholders, which is clearly unjust. This is causing severe damage to print media. He said that the closure of advertisements for certain newspapers due to editorial policies is condemnable.
Dr. Jabar Khattak proposed solutions for the improvement of print media, including solution journalism, the establishment of a joint printing press, and the use of AI technology. Kazem Khan called for the repeal of all media-hostile laws, including the PECA Act, and urged that journalists and media organizations be provided protection.
Ayaz Khan stated that the situation of press freedom in Punjab has also become extremely worrying, with the state controlling mainstream media while simultaneously strengthening social media.
KP Vice President Tahir Farooq informed the meeting that CPNE’s case in the Peshawar High Court regarding the outstanding payments of newspapers has led to an increase in routine payments for newspapers, and it is hoped that more arrears will be cleared by June. He mentioned that contempt of court notices have also been issued, and the Provincial Information Department has started reconciliation. Of the total amount of Rs. 1.80 billion, Rs. 1.10 billion has been reconciled with the Information Department.
Female member, Dr. Nayab, stated that in order for print media to restore its identity, it must prioritize public interest stories.
The meeting expressed concern over the notices sent by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to newspapers and condemned the suspension of advertisements for Dawn newspaper. It was clarified that as long as the ABC verification process is not changed, there is no justification for FBR sending notices to newspapers.
The meeting also presented the CPNE’s annual “Pakistan Media Freedom Report,” which documented the journalists who lost their lives, were injured, or forced to leave the country while performing their journalistic duties during 2024 and 2025. The report expressed serious concerns over the state of media freedom in Pakistan.
The Standing Committee approved the Associate Membership of seven newspapers and magazines based on the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations. The meeting decided that the cases of those newspapers who had submitted apologies in response to show-cause notices will be placed in the upcoming General Meeting, according to the decisions of the CPNE’s Annual General Meeting.
The meeting also decided that if the advertising agency Medias fails to make payment for outstanding dues, an FIR will be filed against them within a week. It was also decided that the next CPNE General Council meeting will be held on Saturday, 3rd May 2025, in Karachi.
The meeting was attended by General Secretary Aijaz ul-Haq, Senior Vice President Anwar Sajidi, Deputy General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Chandio, Vice Presidents Amir Mahmood, Tahir Farooq, Yahya Khan Sadozi, Babar Nazami, Joint Secretaries Arif Baloch, Manza Seham, Rafi Niazi, Waqas Tariq Farooq, Finance Secretary Hamid Hussain Abdi, Information Secretary Zia Tanoli, and CPNE members Kazim Khan, Ayaz Khan, Abdul Khaliq Ali, Abdul Rehman Mangrio, Aslam Mian, Bilal Aslam, Bashir Ahmed Memon, Dr. Jabar Khattak, Dr. Zubair Mahmood, Fazal Haq, Qazi Asad Abid, Maqsood Yousafzai, Mohammad Aslam Khalid, Mohammad Owais Razi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sardar Mohammad Siraj, Shehzad Amin, Shakeel Ahmad Tarabi, Sheer Mohammad, Syed Masoor Zanjani, and Zulfiqar Ahmed Rahat. Observers included Dr. Nayab, Jameel Ahmad Qazi, Usman Ghani Saifi, and Ayub Chohan.
