KARACHI, October 21: Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) expressed deep concerns over the proposed Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PMRA), to be formed under a new media law submitted in the Senate Committee by the Federal Government to control print, electronic and digital media in the country and pointed out that such move had caused severe fear and panic within media because freedom of media, freedom of expression and people’s right to know might be compromised by reinforcing governmental influence and the rigid control of government over media on various pretexts under the garb of proposed media law.
The CPNE’s President Arif Nizami, Senior Vice President Imtinan Shahid and Secretary General Dr. Jabbar Khattak, said in a joint statement issued on Sunday that it is a deplorable fact that unlike practice during previous regimes, the present Federal Government— trampling the traditions – has submitted the proposed law on the media for legislation without consulting CPNE and other media association which created the doubt of malafide intentions of curbing media freedom under the garb of new media law.
The CPNE leaders reminded that in the past during Gen. Ayub Khan Regime; CPNE, PFUJ, APNS and other media associations through the unity with pro-active political and civil society activists, had compelled the dictator to annul the ill-famed Press and Publications Ordinance.
“The dreamers of imposing their agenda on the media by re-imposing the notorious system of press advice under proposed media law should never forget the fact that with the help of struggling peoples, past governments were forced to abandon the infamous practice of press advice.” CPNE leaders added that if someone still believer of curbing of media freedom through any black law, was actually mistaken because “journalists, media workers, civil society and pro-democracy political workers in Pakistan have the power to get rid of black laws aimed to usurp the constitutional rights of media freedom, freedom of expression and right to know of the people.
They advised the government to abandon the mindset of imposing discriminatory, prejudiced and special laws for the media, and instead to create enabling environment by allowing the media to work freely under the normal and ordinary laws and not to enact any media law without consulting CPNE and other media associations.
The leaders of Pakistan’s premier body representing newspapers’ editors announced that CPNE would shortly come up with its detailed stance after discussing on the proposed law at a meeting of its standing committee.-Sabah
