June 21, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 05, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 20: Former Minister for Information and founder of Citizens’ Media Commission of Pakistan (CMCP), Javed Jabbar Wednesday proposed conversion of Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to a commission to eliminate the impression of use of coercive power by an entity in the operation of the electronic media.

Speaking at a roundtable on “Challenges of Democracy and Accountability in the Regulation of Electronic Media” organised by the Islamabad chapter of CMCP here Wednesday, Mr Jabbar also recommended that the chairman and a majority of members of Pemra should be private, eminent citizens selected with the consent of the leaders of the House and Opposition in both houses of the parliament.

He said that responsibility, fairness, balance and accuracy were larger values than freedom of expression alone.