Top panel to review media regulation bill

Journalists fear the law will undermine press freedom

The government and media representatives of Pakistan have agreed to form a committee to address the media regulation issue under the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA).

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Minister of State Farrukh Habib held a meeting with representatives of different media organisations in which they agreed to form a committee to address the issue of fake news particularly on social media, the rights of media workers and ways to improve laws and regulatory framework. The meeting was attended by Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors.

PFUJ slams bill

Shahzada Zulfiqar, the president of PFUJ, said that they considered the PDMA bill “a draconian piece of legislation and reject it in its entirety.” They said the journalist organisations informed the minister that PDMA is “unacceptable” to them but they are ready for further discussions with the government on improving the existing laws.

Pakistani journalists staged a protest outside Parliament House in Islamabad against the bill which they say would undermine press freedom.