Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Information and Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab has said that a new transparent advertisement policy is being planned, and it will soon be approved by the Cabinet. Addressing members of All Pakistan Newspapers Society, he said that Sindhi language newspapers’ financial interests would be safeguarded like those of English and Urdu language newspapers. However, he said steps to cancel licences of newspapers which have no circulation at all will also be taken. “In the past, these newspapers also got advertisements but now these newspapers will be blacklisted and advertisements will be awarded on merit only,” he remarked. Replying to a query, Wahab said that dues would be cleared soon after a mechanism was prepared for the purpose. He was of the opinion that no matter how much progress has been made by the electronic media, the importance of the written word in the print media could not be denied. He assured members of APNS that PPP government would take all possible measures to keep the newspapers industry alive. He said that in the past, the PPP never allowed anyone to suppress freedom of expression and would not allow anyone to do that in the future as well. APNS General Secretary Sarmad Ali and members Javaid Samshi, Younus Mehar and Mangal Dash apprised the provincial adviser about issues of the newspaper industry. After the meeting, the provincial adviser, talking to journalists, said that if providing employment and taking steps for welfare of people was a sin, the PPP government would keep committing such a sin. Published in Daily Times, September 18th 2018.