LAHORE - The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) has described the federal government’s draft advertising policy as a measure to crush the freedom of the media, control and limit the media through financial suffocation of smaller newspapers and make the freedom of expression subservient to the government.

A meeting of the APNS Executive Committee was held in Islamabad with Hameed Haroon in the chair. The meeting discussed the government’s draft advertising policy in detail. Iftikhar Durrani, special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan, attended the meeting on the APNS’s request. APNS President Hameed Haroon, Secretary General Sarmad Ali, Vice President Mehtab Khan, Mujibur Rehman Shami, Rameeza Majid Nizami and other members of the APNS apprised Durrani of their reservations about the draft advertising policy of the government.

Durrani assured the APNS that the incumbent government would take every step for growth and promotion of the media and protection of the freedom of expression. He said that newspapers’ reservations will be allayed in consultations with them. He said the draft advertising policy had been despatched for recommendations and it will be finalized in mutual consultations.