KARACHI: With an aim to ensure proper and transparent distribution of advertisement campaigns, the Sindh government has cancelled the registration of another at 47 ‘dummy newspapers’ and instructed the officials to ensure recovery of amount paid to them under the head of advertisement campaigns in past couple of years, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.
According to the sources, there are a large number of dummy newspapers which have been getting a larger share of advertisement campaigns and tender notices by the officials of the Sindh’s information and archives department.
However, after Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information and Archives, Anti-Corruption and Law, Murtaza Wahab took over the charge of this important department, a high-level committee was constituted to check the functioning of the dummy newspapers.
“The committee thoroughly investigated the printing, offices and staff details of these dummy newspapers and found no existence on the ground that led to the cancellation of their registration”, sources added.
The Information and Archives secretary has forwarded letters to concerned deputy commissioners to take further disciplinary action against the dummy newspapers.
The dummy newspapers whose registration have been cancelled include: Aaj Ka Akhbar, Abro Nama, Aftab-e-Sindh,
Akash, Ansaf times, Awaz-e-Sindh, Awazmi Jaiza, Bani, Brunch Times, Citizens News, Civic Rights Journal, Dish Time, Dophr First News, Fair Times, G A Pakistan, Gate Way, Inkashaf-e-Haq, Islamabad Times, Jhati, Jihad, Kamyab, Kayhan, Nawa-e-Watan, Nawa-e-Iqbal, Naya Mahaz, Nai Dunya International, Pak News International, Peace of Pakistan, Peoples Special, Pakistan Insight, Pak Hours, Quaid-e-Pakistan, Roshan Karachi, Sadko, Shahwand, Sindh Cause, Sindh Globe, Sindh Media, Sindh Sabha, Sindh Star, Sindh Wasi, Sindhi Akhbar, Soonh, Saf Shikan, Super News, Super Sports and others.
When contacted, Advisor to CM on Information and Archives, Anti Corruption and Law Murtaza Wahab told Pakistan Today that there were several complaints that the genuine and widely circulated national newspapers remained ignored in large media campaigns and these dummy newspapers get several advertisements in connivance with the officials of information department.
“I have personally checked the advertisement data of past months and found that large newspapers have been ignored in advertisement distribution but we are working to ensure fair distribution of ads among national newspapers”, Murtaza Wahab added.
