ABBOTTABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Committee of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has expressed grave concern over the worsening financial crisis facing regional newspapers in the province, particularly in the Hazara Division, and demanded the immediate release of long-overdue government advertisement payments in accordance with High Court orders.
The committee warned that it would launch a nationwide protest movement if the outstanding dues were not cleared without further delay.
The demands were made during a meeting of the CPNE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Committee held at the Abbottabad Press Club here on Sunday, said a statement.
Editors and working journalists from across the province, particularly Hazara Division, attended the meeting to discuss the challenges confronting the regional newspaper industry.
Abbottabad Press Club President Sardar Naveed Alam, Mohammad Amir Shehzad Jadun (Sarhad News), Mohammad Shahid Chaudhry (Roznama Mohasib), Sardar Shafiq Ahmed (Roznama Ittehad), Sardar Mohammad Faisal (Roznama Aaj), Siraj-ul-Saqalain (Roznama Shumal), and Ahmed Nawaz Khan Jadun (Hazara News) attended the meeting.
Addressing the participants, CPNE KP Committee Chairman Tahir Farooq said the regional newspaper industry was facing an unprecedented financial crisis that had affected both newspaper owners and working journalists.
He noted that although the provincial cabinet had approved Rs1 billion for the payment of outstanding advertisement dues and released the first installment of Rs400 million to the Information and Public Relations Department, payments had yet to reach newspapers.
He said the failure to release the funds over the past five months had intensified the crisis, threatening the survival of many regional publications and placing journalists under severe financial strain.
Participants from Hazara Division stressed that a united effort was needed to revive the regional newspaper industry. They also expressed concern over the prolonged absence of a permanent Director General of the provincial Information Department, saying the vacancy had compounded administrative and financial problems.
The meeting called for an equitable distribution of government advertisements, alleging that newspapers published in Hazara Division were being overlooked despite their role in serving local communities. Participants said more than 15 regional newspapers in the division were struggling to survive because of government policies, while many journalists had already lost their jobs.
The committee also urged the federal government to include Hazara-based newspapers in its advertisement allocation policy to ensure fair representation of regional media.
The meeting welcomed the appointment of Raeesa Adil as Principal Information Officer and appreciated the services of former Principal Information Officer Mubashir Hassan, acknowledging his efforts to address the concerns of regional newspapers and facilitate their inclusion in federal government advertising.
The committee further decided to seek meetings with the KP chief minister, the provincial information minister and senior officials of the Information Department to press for the resolution of the issues facing the regional press.
The meeting concluded with prayers for the late wife of senior journalist Syed Ejaz Hussain Shah and the mother of Syed Kamal Hussain Shah, with participants offering condolences to the bereaved family.
