Islamabad, (Parliament Times) : The executive body of AKNS has demanded an increase in the budget of print media in the budget received from the Azad Kashmir government, payment of arrears of development budget advertisements before the end of the current financial year, ensuring fair distribution of advertisements, and relaxation of conditions for registering digital channels of state newspapers, news websites (social media platforms) with the Information Department of Azad Kashmir.
This demand was made in a meeting of the executive body of the All Kashmir Newspapers Society (AKNS) chaired by President R. Amjad Chaudhry.
The meeting discussed the serious financial and administrative problems faced by the print media of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The All Kashmir Newspapers Society (AKNS) expressed serious concerns over the non-payment of advertisement dues worth crores of rupees by various government departments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and demanded that these amounts be paid immediately before the end of the current financial year.The society has demanded immediate intervention from the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, the Chief Secretary and the Secretary Information, saying that the relevant departments should be made obliged to pay the dues from the released development budget. Each department should nominate a focal person for effective coordination with the Information Department. All advertisement bills should be cleared before the end of the financial year so that the state newspapers can discharge their responsibilities effectively.
The All Kashmir News Papers Society has indicated that if the issue is not resolved immediately, it will take the journalist community into confidence and hold a protest. Addressing the meeting, President AKNS said that the role of print media is fundamental in maintaining freedom of journalism, public opinion and democratic continuity in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The journalists of Azad Kashmir not only oversee the state affairs but also play a key role in highlighting the achievements of the government, identifying weaknesses, and bringing the problems of the people to the House. “Under the advertisement of development balance, the payments that are still up to the urgency will be resolved,” he said.
He said that despite limited resources, state newspapers have effectively translated the government at all levels and have kept the knowledge of positive journalism. He said that the government should take serious notice of the financial crisis facing Azad Kashmir print media and take practical steps so that democratic statements, institutional stability, and freedom of journalism can be further strengthened.
