ISLAMABAD: The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has expressed concern over the proposed Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PMRA) to be formed under the new media law to control print, electronic and digital media in the country.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Arif Nizami, the president of CPNE, Imtinan Shahid, its senior vice president, and Dr Jabbar Khattak, its secretary general, said the move had created fear in media circles because freedom of media, freedom of expression and people’s right to know might be compromised by reinforcing government control over media on various pretexts.

The CPNE said it was deplorable that the government had trampled upon traditions by not consulting the council and other media associations on the important issue. The move had created doubts about the government’s intentions.

It compared the proposed law with the Press and Publication Ordinance issued during Gen Ayub Khan’s rule and stated that collective efforts by the CPNE, PFUJ, APNS and other media associations had foiled the attempts by the martial law regime to curb media freedom. Any attempt to curb media freedom through a black law would not succeed this time too.

The CPNE advised the government to abandon the mindset of imposing discriminatory, prejudiced and special laws on the media, and create an enabling environment by allowing news organisations to work freely under normal laws.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2018

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