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All Pakistan Newspapers Society stands by Daily Jang

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KARACHI: A meeting of the Executive Committee of APNS was held under the Chairmanship of its President Mr. Sarmad Ali on December 29. The meeting was called to discuss the action of the Multan Hawkers Union against Daily Jang and its coercive attempts to increase commission to hawkers.

According to a press release the APNS president briefed members about discussions with the General Secretary of the Hawkers Federation and the agreement reached to try and resolve issues through dialogue by 5th January, 2013.

The representative of the Daily Jang apprised members of the ultimatum received, discussions held and the unilateral strike by the Multan Hawkers Union. He also gave a detailed presentation on the steps taken by the Jang Group to combat the situation and the success achieved so far.

Hameed Haroon, former President of APNS, also spoke at length about his discussions with the General Secretary of the Hawkers Federation, the Multan situation and how the APNS should collectively counter the situation in the short term as well as long term. After a great deal of discussion between all members, the following resolution was passed:

The Executive Committee of the APNS is unanimous in condemning the unilateral strike by the Multan Hawkers Union while negotiations were continuing with the Hawkers Federation. The APNS extends unreserved support to the Daily Jang and resolves to stand with it in this arbitrary and unjustified action of Multan Hawkers Union. It resolve that all negotiations with the Federation and individual unions be immediately suspended till the Akhbar Farosh Federation ensures that the Multan Hawkers Union calls off the strike and starts distributing copies of the Daily Jang. It underscores the need and necessity of resolving all matters through discussions and negotiations and to suspend negotiation with any union that resorts to threats or coercion. The members of the APNS resolved not to increase commission under threat by the Multan Hawkers Union. The member publications which, as per claims by the hawkers, had increased commission to 40%, announced that any suggestion that they had increased commission to 40% in Multan was incorrect. If their agents had agreed to pass on their commission to the hawkers, this did not enjoy the sanction of the management of these publications and they would ensure that their agents immediately withdrew this offer, if made.

The Executive Committee decided to invite Tikka Khan and Shaikh Umer Din, General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary of the Akhbar Farosh Federation respectively, to explain why the Multan Hawkers Union took a unilateral decision in defiance and contradiction of the Federation’s decision. The role of Umer Din, Deputy General Secretary of the federation, would also be reviewed in instigating and leading this rebellion against his own General Secretary. The Executive Committee decided to take a number of progressive steps relating to formulating its relationship with the Hawkers Federation, its various unions, information gathering and sharing. They also discussed the viability of offering associate membership to new publications, subject to certain pre-conditions. In the same context it was agreed to develop special code of conduct which will govern APNS institutional relationships with other stakeholders.

The APNS Executive Committee and members expressed their firm resolve to stand by the Jang Group in this unilateral action against it by Multan Hawkers Union.

The Executive Committee decided to form two sub-committees:

1- A committee to negotiate with the Hawkers Federation, subject to immediate withdrawal of the strike by the Multan Hawkers’ Union, the demands raised by it with regard to increase in commission and other matters.

2- The second committee will be charged with developing a long term alternate distribution system.

The meeting was attended by Sarmad Ali (President), Masood Hamid (Secretary General), Javed Mehr Shamsi (Finance Secretary), Hameed Haroon (Ex-Officio), Shahrukh Hassan (D/Jang), Minhaj Kazmi (D/Khabrain), Arshad A. Zuberi (D/Business Recorder), Abbas Abdul Latif (D/Nawa-i-Waqt), Najam-ud-din Sheikh (D/Deyanat), Mukhtar Aqil (D/Jurat, Khi), Aamir Mahmood (M/Kiran), Mushtaq Qureshi (M/Naye Ufaq), Salman Qureshi (M/Naya Rukh), Faisal Zahid Malik (D/Pakistan Observer), Ilyas Shakir (D/Qaumi Akhbar), Mehmood Sheikh (M/Roohani Digest), Riaz Ahmed Mansuri (M/The Cricketer), Niloufer Patel and Khawaja Kaleem (D/Dawn).

Pakistan Press Foundation