KARACHI, September 28, 2026: Federal Press Information Officer (PIO) Raeesa Adil visited the new secretariat of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Monday and met with office-bearers and members of the CPNE Standing Committee.

Director General Press Information Department (PID) Sindh Iram Tanveer also accompanied her during the visit.

The meeting focused on issues facing the newspaper industry across Pakistan, including newspaper registration, Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) certification, government advertisements and outstanding payments.

Newspaper Industry Raises Registration Concerns

CPNE representatives highlighted difficulties faced by newspapers and periodicals during the registration process.

They said several publications were experiencing delays and other problems, affecting their operations across the country.

The CPNE office-bearers welcomed PIO Raeesa Adil to the new secretariat.

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They also expressed their commitment to developing the new facility with modern amenities.

According to the CPNE representatives, the secretariat will eventually be developed into a modern training and professional centre.

The facility is expected to host training programmes and other professional activities for CPNE members and representatives of media organisations.

CPNE Seeks Payment of Outstanding Dues

The CPNE representatives also raised the issue of outstanding payments owed by the Press Information Department (PID) since 2019.

They called for the immediate payment of pending dues, saying timely clearance of outstanding amounts is important for the financial stability of newspaper organisations.

PIO Raeesa Adil discussed the current situation regarding ABC certification.

She said some ABC-related matters were being affected by the absence of the relevant officer.

She added that progress was expected regarding the appointment of an officer.

Raeesa Adil also said authorities were considering linking the ABC and newspaper registration systems.

She said work was underway to develop an effective system for integrating the two processes.

Government Advertising Distribution Discussed

The meeting also discussed the fair distribution of government advertisements.

Special attention was given to advertisements intended for regional newspapers and periodicals.

CPNE representatives called for effective implementation of a policy under which local and region-specific advertisements are published in newspapers serving those areas.

Raeesa Adil assured the representatives that the concerns of regional newspapers and other issues would be reviewed.

She said workable proposals would be discussed with the relevant forums.

CPNE Office-Bearers Attend Meeting

At the conclusion of the meeting, Raeesa Adil thanked the CPNE for hosting her.

CPNE representatives expressed hope that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and relevant institutions would cooperate in resolving issues facing the newspaper industry.

Those present included CPNE Finance Secretary Arif Baloch, Information Secretary Manza Seham, Vice Presidents Qazi Asad Abid and Anwar Sajdi, Joint Secretary Sindh Maqsood Ahmed Yousafi, and senior members Ejaz-ul-Haq, Hamid Hussain Abidi, Abdul Khaliq Ali, Bashir Ahmed Memon, Abdul Sami Mengrio, Sher Muhammad Khawad, Mahmood Alam Khalid and Salman Qureshi.