KARACHI, Sept 6: The All Pakistan Newspapers Society has decided to suspend publication of advertisements brought out by the Sindh information department if it fails to clear all dues by Sept 15, according to a press release.

The Sindh committee of the APNS, at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Kazi Asad Abid, expressed dismay over the non-payment of dues of member publications based in the province for the 2010-June 2012 period. “The issue relates to the dues of member publications amounting to Rs 500 millions against advertisements released by the Sindh Information which has not been settled despite communications to the minister and the secretary concerned,” the press release said.

“The APNS had invited the Minister for Information, Sharjeel Inam Memon, to a meeting of its Sindh committee wherein he was urged to settle the issue without further delay,” the APNS added. The minister told APNS the government of Sindh had already sanctioned the required amount to clear the dues. However, the payments were released “mainly to non-APNS publications after the assurance”, the statement said.

The APNS regretted that requests to the chief minister, the information minister and the information secretary went in vain and the issue lingered on, causing accumulation of dues to the tune of Rs.500 million.

“This situation has caused acute financial crunch to the newspaper industry in the province.

“Hence there is no option left to the APNS but to suspend the advertisements of Sindh government.”