ISLAMABAD: Two federal secretaries, a serving police chief, a former head of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and a TV show host are currently jostling for position as the new head of the country’s electronic media watchdog, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

At least 40 candidates have been interviewed to the lead the authority, which became the centre of attention following controversy regarding the absence of a full-time chief there.

Headed by Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, the interview panel included Information Secretary Mohammad Azam and Establishment Secretary Nadeem Hassan Asif, while the director of internal publicity from the information ministry acted as secretary to the interview board.

In background discussions, top government officials and members of the ruling party told Dawn that certain candidates were making “extra efforts” in an attempt to grab the prized position. This comes as no surprise: the head of Pemra will be responsible for regulating the ever-expanding and highly lucrative electronic media landscape in the country.

Senior bureaucrats, police officers, journalists vying for coveted position as head of electronic media watchdog

The candidates that appeared before the interview panel earlier this week included an interesting mix of individuals. The interviewees included incumbent Inter-Provincial Coordination Secretary Ejaz Chaudhry and Antinarcotics Control Secretary Mohammad Ghalib Ali.

Mr Chaudhry belongs to the elite District Management Group, whereas Mr Ghalib Ali has previously served in the Police Service of Pakistan and has been a director general at the FIA.

Islamabad Inspector General Tahir Alam Khan, who is set to retire next year, has also applied for the Pemra chief’s job.

Dr Abdul Jabbar, who was acting Pemra chief under the PPP, also presented his credentials to the interview panel. While he does have hand-on experience of running the regulator, observers say his closeness to the PPP may work against him in the selection process.

Kamaluddin Teepu, the former police official who is currently serving as the acting head of Pemra, is also among the applicants.

Absar Alam, a journalist-turned-talk show host, has also applied for the position, while sources say a number of servicemen, both former and serving, have also applied.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also changed the rules of the game at least once during the selection process.

In its first advertisement for the position, the eligibility criteria for the position stipulated that candidates must at least possess a master’s degree from an HEC-recognized university. However, in a revised advertisement, this requirement was reduced to a bachelor’s degree.

A communications expert, who has worked with Pemra in the past, told Dawn that whether it was the all-powerful Federal Communications Commission in the US, or the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India, candidates with strong legal backgrounds are preferred for appointment because regulation was all about framing rules and regulations.

“But unfortunately in Pakistan, Pemra only deals with money-related issues: licence fee collection, imposition of fines etc,” he said.

Bipartisan selection?

But former information minister Javed Jabbar, who was involved with the drafting of the original Pemra ordinance in the mid-90s, said that the government was ignoring a key requirement in its hiring process.

Mr Jabbar was one of the authors of the original Pemra ordinance under Malik Meraj Khalid’s caretaker government in 1996, but the subsequent PML-N regime could not convert it into an act of parliament.

He was later appointed information minister under the government of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and was involved with the finalisation of the Pemra ordinance.

At the time, he said, there were three criteria laid down for the appointment of a Pemra chief: firstly, that he/she should be fairly updated on the electronic media, both on the regional and international level; secondly, he/she must have direct administrative and regulatory experience; and thirdly, must have a good reputation and his/her integrity as an individual and as a professional must be beyond reproach.

Mr Jabbar said that though he was unaware of the latest developments on this front, he said that the recommendations of the Media Commission – appointed by the Supreme Court on Jan 15, 2013 – included the stipulation that the Pemra chief would, in the future, be selected through a bipartisan parliamentary committee and that he/she would be answerable to parliament, not the information ministry. “I don’t know why the present government has ignored this stipulation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2015

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