A three member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar ordered the government to clear all outstanding dues towards advertising agencies within a week.
The CJP said these agencies must then pay newspapers for their advertisements within three days.
The court also established a four member committee that will report on the details and on the procedure of payments made during the incumbent government’s tenure.
The committee the court established comprises Principal Information Officer Muhammad Saleem, Secretary General Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) Aijazul Haque, Secretary All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) Sarmad Ali and President Advertising Association Jawwad Humayun, as well as the information secretaries of the provinces who will oversee matters pertaining to provincial advertisements.
The CJP passed this order while hearing a case over why advertising companies had not paid print media organisations. To this, a lawyer responded that the federal and provincial governments had not currently paid advertising agencies.
Federal Information Secretary, Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera, moreover, informed the Court that the federal government would clear its dues today (Tuesday).
He also added that the government would make a payment of Rs 401 million to print media organisations.
The CJP also clarified that it would be the committee he established that would decide the total amount and the procedure of how to make the payments.
He also ordered the committee to submit its report to the court when it was ready.
