December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The Pakistan People’s Party has condemned “an open threat” issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to the media regarding political programmes.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, PPP information secretary Sherry Rehman said that after fundamental constitutional rights of citizens had been stayed for 40 days, the media, which was earlier blacked out, was facing another onslaught as the regime had made fresh attempts to muzzle it.

She said the regime’s ‘puppet regulatory body’ had openly threatened to slap three years’ sentence, Rs10 million fine and cancel the licence of media organisations if they did not comply with the amended Pemra Ordinance, 2007.

Ms Rehman accused Pemra of acting as a ‘thinly disguised tool’ to manipulate the media. She said restrictions on the media were unconstitutional and the ordinance had no constitutional value.

She urged Pemra to stop its ‘intimidation spree’ against the media. “Being an extended arm of the regime, Pemra, in its current form, is completely unacceptable to the entire nation. It has always been a controversial body and all its orders are the extension of the dictatorial ambitions of the Musharraf regime. More than a media regulatory body, Pemra has essentially turned out to be a body that misses no chance to muzzle the media.”