KARACHI - The annual awards ceremony of the APNS will be held in the last week of March 2011 wherein President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, has consented to be the chief guest. Secretary General APNS, Sarmad Ali, stated that Executive Committee of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society, chaired by APNS President Hameed Haroon at its meeting held on Monday decided to hold its General Council on March 31, to elect members of the Executive Committee for the years 2011-12. The members adopted the annual report of the executive committee for the year 2010-11 and Annual Account for the year 2010. The members of the APNS Executive approved and finalised the preparations for the Annual Awards wherein the President of Pakistan will distribute awards among the winning journalists and advertising practitioners for the excellence in their professions. The Executive Committee also decided to give Life Time Achievement Award to senior and veteran publishers. The meeting of the Executive Committee was attended by Chairman Nawa-i-Waqt Group of Publications, Majid Nizami, ex-President of the Society as guest of honour. The Executive Committee gave standing ovation to its former President and decided to elect him as Member Emeritus of the Society. The Executive Committee considered the report of Convener Regional Press Committee, wherein it was briefed that the Regional Press Convention shall now be held on April 09, at Lahore wherein Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister of Pakistan, has consented to be the chief guest on the occasion. The Executive Committee decided to grant associate membership to Daily Taqat, Quetta, Daily Independent, Hub, Daily Balochistan Lines, Quetta, Daily Nazim News, Quetta, Daily Bolan, Hub, Daily Pakistan Observer, Lahore, Daily Abtak Lahore, Daily Sama, Lahore, Daily Leader, Lahore, Weekly Akhbar-e-Khawateen, Lahore, Daily Mahasib, Gilgit, Daily Ausaf, Gilgit, Daily Ausaf, Muzaffarabad, and Daily Techno Times, Karachi. The Executive Committee on the report of Advertising Committee approved the confirmation of accreditation of M/s. Lahore Publicity Services, Lahore, and restructuring of M/s. Media One Communication, Lahore, and M/s. X20 Communications, Lahore. Majid Nizami, Chairman Nawa-i-Waqt Group of Publications, Hameed Haroon, President APNS, Muhammad Aslam Kazi, SVP, Umer Mujib Shami, VP, Sarmad Ali, Secretary General, Shimaila Matri Dawood, Joint Secretary, SM Munir Jillani, Finance Secretary, Anwar Farooqui (Daily Aghaz), Danish Iftikhar (Daily Asas), Mehtab Khan (Daily Ausaf), Waseem Ahmed (Daily Awam, Quetta), Rehmat Ali Raazi (Weekly Azm), Mumtaz A Tahir (Daily Aftab), Ghulam Akbar (Daily Al Akhbar), Ahmed Zuberi (Daily Business Recorder), Abdul Rashid Ghazi (Daily Business Report), Syed Faseih Iqbal (Daily Balochistan Times), Najamuddin Sheikh (Daily Deyanat), Aijaz-ul-Haq (Daily Express), Ms. Qudsia K Khan (Daily Financial Post), Kazi Asad Abid (Daily lbrat), Javed Mehr Shamsi (Daily Kaleem), Rizwan Saeed Syed (Daily Khabrain), Aamir Mahmood (Monthly Kiran), Syed Ayaz Badshah (Daily Mashriq, Peshawar), Deputy Managing Director Nawa-I-Waqt Group of Publications, Ms Rameeza Majid Nizami, Deputy Managing Director Nawa-i-Waqt Group, Sardar Khan Niazi (Monthly Naya Rukh), Dr Waqar Yousuf Azeemi (Monthly Roohani Digest), Riaz Ahmed Mansuri (Monthly The Cricketer), Jamil Ather (Daily Tijarat), Mahmud ul-Aziz (Monthly Pictorial News Review) and Prof S B Hassan (Monthly Investment & Marketing) attended the meeting, while Dr Jabbar Khattak (ex-officio), Mushtaq Ahmed Qureshi (Monthly Naey Ufaq), and Humayon Gulzar (Daily Sayadat) attended as special invitees.