KARACHI, Aug 23: The APNS executive committee has strongly flayed the interference of the Islamabad administration in the matter of internal dispute of Barex Ltd between Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami and Sardar Khan Niazi, says an APNS press release.

The committee passed a resolution with respect to the recent illegal theft of a four unit printing machine from the 1-9, Islamabad premises of Masood Sorish. The machine was shifted from Lahore to Islamabad for printing of daily Pakistan. Mr Niazi, who is ostensibly in occupation of the premises and declaration of daily Pakistan, Islamabad, was contesting the ownership of the machine which, during the process of arbitration, was held in the custody of APNS president, Hameed Haroon. The matter was also being resolved in the courts.

The situation took an ugly turn when on the night of August 21, the guards deployed by the APNS were kidnapped and the two containers load machine was stolen by the armed man of Mr Niazi and shifted to some unknown place. Mr Niazi confessed with the senior publishers as well as the senior police officials that the machine was in his possession. The APNS executive committee was of the considered opinion that a 50 ft long heavy machine could not be removed to federal capital without the connivance of the unscrupulous elements in the Islamabad administration. The committee asked the government to investigate why had these elements been allowed to support this banditry which might reflect on the policy and attitude of the government towards the press?

The committee noted that Mr Niazi had failed to pay his share towards the arbitration expenses incurred by the APNS. The recent heinous act and his overall attitude suggests that he was morally unfit for the membership of any newspaper organization or forum. The committee directed the executive director, APNS to lodge a formal FIR with the federal capital police against Mr Niazi to recover the printing press from his possession. It stated that the minister for interior, Moinuddin Haider, had not only facilitated the APNS to seek legal recourse but had also assured that exemplary steps would be taken against the elements involved in the banditry and book the culprits.

ORDINANCES: The secretary general of APNS, Kazi Asad Abid has stated that the executive committee thoroughly discussed the draft Freedom of Information and Defamation Ordinances sent by the Ministry of Information to the APNS.

The members found that certain clauses of the draft ordinances were harmful to the spirit of the freedom of press. The committee therefore, requested the APNS president to prepare suitable amendments to these clauses.