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Advertising industry Hashmi conferred with Personality of Millennium Award

NISAR AHMAD SHEIKH

ISLAMABAD: The advertising industry has tremendous scope for expansion as only one dollar per capita has been invested in the industry as compared with other countries where the per capita investment is manifold, declared Javed Jabbar Adviser to the Chief Executive on Information while delivering his presidential address at a function held here on Tuesday.

The function had been held to honour S.H. Hashmi the chief of the biggest advertising agency in the country, on the conferment of the "personality of the millennium" award by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS).

Jabbar said that advertising is a profession which is creative and unique as well as play an active role in the moral and cultural values of a nation. He said it must squarely face the new challenges which Pakistan is facing today when changes are taking place. He hoped that advertising agencies including the agency headed by Hashmi Sahib would boldly come forward and lead the way.

He said advertising is and has always been a weak profession as well as financially vulnerable but there is one agency which has always honoured its commitment of 90 days Ñ not the proverbial political 90 days Ñ and fulfilled its obligations to the newspapers whether its dues with the government have been cleared or not. It has always cleared 90 percent to 95 percent of the dues within 90 days. It is a misfortune that the government had been the defaulter but it goes to the credit of this government that it has cleared the defaulted amount accumulated over the last eight or nine years. In one go it has paid Rs 175 million of advertising bills outstanding for a long time. It goes to the credit of this government that it has not used the outstanding bills as a coercive measure against the print media.

Paying tributes to S.H. Hashmi, Javed Jabbar said that he has a generous heart in spite of the weak financial position of the advertising agency. His generosity, sweet temperament and good values marked are some of the outstanding features of his personality, he added.

Jabbar said that advertising a volatile profession and it is very difficult to institutionalise it but Hashmi Sahib is the one person who has successfully the uncertainly and volatile nature of this profession. He said this profession or industry is one sector of information which is financial weak as no bank is prepared to advance money to it because each and every agency consists of a very limited number of persons. However the stabilising factor of the industry is Hashmi Sahib.

Recalling his association with Hashmi Sahib Jabbar said that although they had many differences but the untiring efforts made by him for the holding of the first advertising congress some 20 years ago created great respect for him in his heart and that respect is enduring till today. He said the glowing tributes paid to him by all the speakers proved that Hashmi Sahib is loved and respected by all.

Speaking on the occasion, S.H. Hashmi said that he is overwhelmed by the praise showered on him by his well-wishers who are very successful persons in the profession and print media on their own. He owned the tribute bestowed on him by the participants that he is endowed with Pakistaniyat and that his advertisements clearly demonstrate the colour and culture of Pakistan.

"I am a Pakistani. I believe in the ideals of Pakistan and I am grateful to Almighty Allah that I played my role in giving the colour of Pakistaniyat to the advertisements produced by my agency," said Hashmi.

He said that the newspapers have played an everlasting role and they are continuing to perform this role under the most trying conditions.

Hashmi held out the assurance that he would make every effort to serve the newspaper industry because it is his faith that the newspapers play a most constructive role in the making of a nation and a state.

CPNE President Arif Niazi, said that advertising industry is passing through a change and it is also a matter of regret that some of the agencies do not clear their bills to the newspapers. He suggested that some ethics should be formulated to meet this shortcoming and some "Madarul Maham" should be appointed to look after this aspect of the problem faced by the newspapers.

Information Secretary Ejaz Sarwar termed Hashmi Sahib as a most decent person and this aspect of his personality has brought decency to the advertising industry. In fact, he is the role model for the industry, he stressed.

Pakistan Advertising Agency Chairman Rashid Umar Thanvi narrated many instances of the long association with Hashmi Sahib and said that he cherish them. He said Syed Hamid Shah Hashmi not only makes prompt payments to the newspapers but also makes advance payments and that his agency has a turnover of Rs 600 million annually. It has won Best Performance Award consecutively for 18 times.

Sh. Iftikhar Adil, Editor Ahsas, Rawalpindi pointed out that many advertising agencies are working in the country but the only agency which is making prompt payment is the advertising agency of Hashmi Sahib.

Sarmad Ali of the Pakistan Marketing Association said that two personalities Ñ Javed Jabbar and S.H. Hashmi Ñ have the honour of contributing most to the promotion of advertising industry in the country.

The organiser of the function, Zahid Malik said that function has been arranged not because his agency is the biggest in the country or has won best performance award for the 18th time but it is because of the personality of Hashmi Sahib whose advertisements depict and carry the message about Pakistani values and Pakistaniyat.