ISLAMABAD: Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar said on Friday that the country’s newspapers received the highest amount of advertising worth $9 billion, while new channels received $6 billion in advertising.
Responding to Senator Sarmad Ali Khan’s question on the criteria of news channels and newspapers during the question hour of the second session of the 340th session of the Senate of Pakistan, the minister informed that newspapers are facing financial crisis. The government has now paid special attention to this.
Ataullah Tarar said that now advertisements are given to news and media as per the service manual of 1997. Advertising policy was introduced in 2021 and revised in 2022.
“There is no standard to determine the suitability of electronic media for advertising. But, based on the ratings of the news channels, our committee allows us to give a certain number or amount of advertisements to certain channels,” he said.
The minister said that advertisement for any news channel has not been stopped by the government now.
According to him, the effective delivery of the message is intended for the maximum audience, and the rating system for news channels helps to realize this dream.
In addition, the Inspection Bureau checks the circulation of newspapers and advertisements in wide circulation newspapers.
In the 2024 APBD, he said, a 10 percent tax on imported newsprint was imposed, but it was withdrawn due to the crisis and no new tax was imposed on newspapers.
He hoped that the political chamber, the owner of his house, should be improved and made effective under the leadership of the reporter of the question All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).
The previous minister praised the prime minister for participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) leaders’ forum and successfully completing his visit to Astana and bringing the innocent Palestinian case to light.
“The Prime Minister is fighting hard for the Palestinian cause and hopes that Israel will be held accountable for the genocide of innocent Palestinians,” he said.
Pakistan has said that it has a clear position that an independent Palestine must accept its pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds as its capital and there is no other way to stop firing.
