SAPM Fahd Husain fails to get support of journalist fraternity as CPNE boycotts PM’s meeting

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) and senior journalist Fahd Husain has faced another failure to get the support of the journalist fraternity as the largest body of newspapers, the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), boycotted PM Shehbaz Sharif’s meeting.

PM Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government faced an embarrassing failure to gain the support of the journalist fraternity after its unpopular decisions in terms of the economic challenges and flood relief strategies.

Yesterday, the premier held a meeting with senior media persons including newspaper editors and owners of the media houses which met an unexpected situation.

The Council of Newspaper Editors (CPNE) members boycotted the meeting summoned by PM Sharif for elaborating on the coalition government’s strategies regarding flood relief activities across the country, and political and economic challenges.

The President of the Lahore Press Club, Azam Chaudhry, revealed in a Twitter message that PM Shehbaz Sharif had summoned a meeting of the office-bearers of the associations of the media house owners and editors for the assistance of the flood affectees.

“When the office-bearers reached there, they found some controversial persons sitting there. In the presence of those people, all editors boycotted the meeting with the premier,” he said.

وزیراعظم نے سیلاب زدگان کی مدد کے لئے میڈیا مالکان اور عامل ایڈیٹرز کی تنظیموں کو میٹنگ کے لئے بلا رکھا تھا CPNE کے عہدیدار وہاں پہنچے تو کچھ متنازعہ لوگ وہاں بیٹھے تھے جن کی موجودگی میں تمام عامل ایڈیٹروں نے وزیراعظم سے میٹنگ کا بائیکاٹ کر دیا

— Azam Chaudhry (@azamch7) September 8, 2022

The Lahore Press Club president further said that the CPNE President Kazim Khan and other office-bearers of the reputed association having renowned journalists including Mir Khalilur Rehman, Majeed Nizami and Arif Nizami rejected to meet PM Sharif due to the presence of some controversial and fake editors.

Analysts said that the coalition government has even failed to get the backing of the journalist fraternity due to its unpopular decisions.

They added that one of the incumbent government’s failures was its recent attempt to divide the journalist fraternity by calling controversial and fake editors to the meeting with PM Sharif, whereas, it also raised questions regarding the steps of SAPM Fahd Husain who was appointed with the status of the federal minister by the premier.