Ejazul Haq Meets CM Sohail Afridi Over Media Issues
KP to Clear Newspaper Dues as per Court Orders
PROVINCE REPORT
PESHAWAR: Chief Executive Officer of Express Media Group and former Secretary General of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Ejazul Haq, called on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi at the Chief Minister House on Tuesday.
Provincial Minister for Information Shafi Jan and Express News Peshawar Bureau Chief Shahid Hameed were also present during the meeting.
The meeting focused on the challenges facing the newspaper industry, particularly the payment of long-pending government dues to newspapers. The Chief Minister assured the delegation that the provincial government would ensure payment of outstanding dues in accordance with court orders to protect both newspapers and the livelihoods of media workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government firmly believes in freedom of expression and is committed to supporting the newspaper industry so that the public continues to have access to credible information while safeguarding the employment of thousands of workers associated with the sector.
He acknowledged that the outstanding dues had accumulated over several decades and said the government was making every effort to resolve the issue at the earliest.
Ejazul Haq appreciated the provincial government’s positive approach and expressed hope that the first installment of outstanding payments would be released immediately, followed by the second installment after completion of the arbitration process. He said this would be a significant achievement for the present provincial government.
He also appreciated Information Minister Shafi Jan for maintaining constructive engagement with the newspaper industry, saying such cooperation would help strengthen relations between the media and the government.
Minister for Information Shafi Jan reiterated that the Information Department would continue its policy of cooperation with newspapers and would play its full role in resolving their issues.
Ejazul Haq highlighted CPNE’s commitment to protecting the economic rights of media workers and urged media owners to ensure timely payment of employees’ dues. He also observed that withholding payments to media houses by linking them to workers’ claims was contrary to court directives.
Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said he would soon meet a CPNE delegation to discuss the challenges facing the newspaper industry and work towards practical solutions.
