ISLAMABAD: A newly proposed media regulator will be able to impose fines of up to Rs250 million, or roughly $1.5 million, on Pakistani media outlets that violate rules, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said in comments broadcast on Monday.
The proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance, 2021 — which will oversee films and monitor electronic, print and digital media, including Web TV, over-the-top content platforms and news websites — has rattled journalists and rights advocates who fear it could be used to stifle dissent and free speech and institutionalize censorship.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) currently has the authority to impose a maximum fine of Rs1 million, an amount that was not large enough to deter media organizations from breaking rules, Hussain said in an interactive session with digital broadcasters.
“We are taking the fine to Rs250 million,” he said. “So, the maximum fine that can be imposed on any organization will be 250 million rupees.”
At present, Hussain said, there were seven laws to regulate media in Pakistan: “Social media was dealt by PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority), press by the Press Council, electronic media by PEMRA, labor regulations by ITNE (Implementation Tribunal for Newspapers Employees) ... newspaper registrations by ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation).”
But in order to implement the laws, they needed to be converged, the minister said.
“So, we are repealing all these laws and creating the Pakistan Media Development Authority,” Hussain said. “We are dissolving PEMRA, ITNE, Press Council as well as the censor boards.”
The censor boards, he said, would be replaced by a central board of film censors.
Hussain said the government hadn’t included the provision of imprisonment in the new proposed law. “The only action that authority can take is to impose fines.”
The government was also creating a Media Complaints Commission and a Media Tribunal: “An individual can lodge a complaint with the Media Complaints Commission and the commission will be bound to announce its verdict in 21 days. The verdict could be appealed in a Media Tribunal.”
The minister said the commission would have four members each from the government and media bodies, who would work under a chairman.
He said media “tycoons” did not want the government to create a media tribunal because it would also entertain the complaints of their employees.
“But we are bent upon creating it because otherwise this is an owner-centric media,” Hussain said.
He also criticized PEMRA for its lack of investment in media development in the country, despite being a rich state organization.
Under the new law, Hussain said, a development wing for the capacity-building of journalists would be created.
Media bodies have criticized the government’s proposal.
In a joint statement issued this month, the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) rejected the proposed PMDA, calling it a “draconian” law and describing it as “an attempt to tighten the federal government’s control over the media.”
Proposed new regulator could impose fine of $1.5 million on Pakistani media — information minister
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Proposed new regulator could impose fine of $1.5 million on Pakistani media — information minister
- Says government will set up Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance, dissolve existing regulators and censor boards
- Proposal has rattled journalists and rights advocates who fear it could be used to stifle dissent, institutionalize censorship
Pakistan PM calls for faster CPEC implementation, pledges security for Chinese workers
- Shehbaz Sharif pushes expanded cooperation in agriculture, IT and mining under CPEC phase two
- Chinese envoy reaffirms Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and economic development
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for speeding up projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and pledged stronger security guarantees for Chinese workers and investments, during a meeting with China’s ambassador in Islamabad.
Sharif made the remarks as the two countries strive to launch the second phase of CPEC, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure and energy initiative launched in 2015 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
CPEC’s first phase focused largely on power generation and transport infrastructure aimed at easing Pakistan’s chronic energy shortages and improving connectivity. The second phase seeks to expand cooperation into industrial development, with an emphasis on special economic zones and export-oriented growth.
“While highlighting the importance of accelerating ongoing CPEC projects, the Prime Minister stressed on the need to enhance cooperation in agriculture and IT and mining & minerals,” said a statement circulated by the PM Office after the meeting.
“He also underscored Pakistan’s resolve to provide a secure and conducive environment for Chinese personnel, investments, and institutions in Pakistan,” it added.
Chinese nationals and projects in Pakistan have faced security threats in the past, including attacks by militant groups targeting infrastructure sites and convoys. Islamabad has repeatedly vowed to tighten security and has deployed special protection units for Chinese workers.
China is Pakistan’s closest ally in the region and a key economic partner, with CPEC widely regarded by Islamabad as central to long-term economic growth.
During the meeting, the prime minister conveyed greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, particularly on the occasion of the Chinese New Year.
China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Jiang Zaidong, reiterated Beijing’s support for Pakistan’s sovereignty and socioeconomic development, according to the statement. Both sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues and agreed to maintain close coordination.
