PESHAWAR, June 6: The Alliance for Protection of Human Rights (APHR) has strongly condemned the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Amendment Ordinance.

A press release issued here on Wednesday said that there was no justification to promulgate the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance by President Musharraf on Monday last.

The alliance said the media is the fourth pillar of the state and is an important element to inform the public about the facts. Therefore, unlawful restrictions on the telecast of talk shows, new bulletins and live coverage of different incidents in the electronic media were highly condemnable.

The APHR said it is oppressive for an agency to make regulations to restrict freedom of expression and information, and added that the ordinance allows the PEMRA to make new regulations by itself. It also enables the authority to cease the broadcast or distribution equipment or seal the premises that are operating illegally. The government wants to stop the free flow of information.

The alliance also condemned blocking the transmissions of GEO, Aaj and other channels from time to time. The government is presently repugnant to all four pillars -- Legislature, Judiciary, Executive and Media -- to prolong its rule and to manipulate the facts.

It is regrettable to note that the government promulgated the ordinance against the freedom of expression. The ordinance is also against some articles of the Constitution of Pakistan, the UN Declaration of Human Rights 1948 and the Universal Covenant of Civil and Political Rights 1976. It should be better for the government to act rationally and take the ordinance back.