ISLAMABAD: September 25 was observed as the “National Newspaper Readership Day” in Pakistan by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS). On the occasion, the newspapers published special supplements to urge people to read newspapers.
The supplement covered message of the president, prime minister, provincial governors, and chief ministers as well as the federal minister for information. The Pakistan Post issued a special stamp to commemorate the occasion.
In his message, President Dr Arif Alvi said we need to encourage and educate our people to develop reading habits as it will contribute greatly towards the intellectual development of the nation. He said reading played a significant role in his daily routines and it was almost at the top of his pleasures in life. He appreciated the efforts of the APNS for celebrating the “National Newspaper Readership Day” and congratulated them on spearheading the cause.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his message, appreciated the efforts of the APNS on behalf of the Government of Pakistan for observing the “National Newspaper Readership Day” in order to acquaint the nation with the significance of newspaper reading. He said the newspapers are a source of reliable and authentic information in an era of massive proliferation of fake news and added that it was encouraging to see that the newspapers have upheld their authenticity and reliability despite the advent of digital media. He also commended the newspapers and media for their role in aiding the government to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. He further said the newspapers have also helped in putting Pakistan’s stance across the globe. He reiterated his government’s resolve to promote freedom of expression and urged the newspapers to join hands with the government to develop an educated and enlightened nation.
The governors of all the four provinces, including chief ministers and the federal information ministers, also commended the APNS for its role in promoting newspapers’ readership across Pakistan and providing reliable and authentic news to the readers. It is pertinent to mention here that the APNS dedicated September 25 in 2019 as the “National Newspaper Readership Day”. The significance of this date is that on this day the world’s first multipage daily newspaper “Publick Occurrences” was published in 1689 from the US.
The APNS thanked the Pakistan Post for issuing the commemorative stamp and urged the public not only to use this stamp but also to incalculate the habit of reading amongst their children. The best way to encourage your children to read is to start them from newspapers, the APNS added. The APNS also ran an advertising campaign to mark the occasion.
