Representative organisations of media industry reject Pakistan Media Deve­lopment Authority

Published August 12, 2021
The representative orga­n­isations of the media industry urged members of the National Assembly and Senate Standing Com­mittee on Information to reject the PMDA completely. — Reuters/File
The representative orga­n­isations of the media industry urged members of the National Assembly and Senate Standing Com­mittee on Information to reject the PMDA completely. — Reuters/File

KARACHI: All representative organisations and associations of media in-dustry — the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Dir­ec­­t­­o­rs (AEMEND) — have rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Deve­lopment Authority (PMDA) and termed the law behind it a draconian one.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, they criticised the law and described the move as a step towards imposing state control over all segments of media through creation of a single over-centralised body.

They said the PMDA appeared to be aimed at subjugating freedom of expression and of the press. The law is an attempt to tighten the federal government’s control over the media from one platform but ignores the fact that print, electronic and social media are separate entities with their own defined features.

They said the move to bring under state control all types of media organisations through one body indicates an authoritarian streak, which should have no place in a democratically elected dispensation.

The representative orga­n­isations of the media industry urged members of the National Assembly and Senate Standing Com­mittee on Information to reject the proposed body completely, said the joint statement.

As per the government’s proposal, the Pakistan Media Deve­lopment Autho­rity will solely be responsible for the regulation of print, broadcast and digital media in the country.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Regional engagement
Updated 13 May, 2025

Regional engagement

If terrorist groups continue to find sanctuary in Afghanistan, regional integration and increased trade will be difficult to achieve.
Hostages to hostility
13 May, 2025

Hostages to hostility

AS people breathe a sigh of relief after being locked with India in a hair-trigger stand-off, there are those for...
Water crisis
13 May, 2025

Water crisis

IN large parts of Karachi, there is no water to be had. The taps have run dry for the past 12 days, bowsers have ...
The way forward
Updated 12 May, 2025

The way forward

An out-of-the-box solution acceptable to Pakistan, India and the Kashmiris is the only hope for long-term peace in South Asia.
AI opportunity
12 May, 2025

AI opportunity

TIME is running out. According to the latest Human Development Report, published by the UNDP this past Tuesday,...
Ace mountaineer
12 May, 2025

Ace mountaineer

NINE summits, five to go. Sajid Ali Sadpara’s quest to fulfil his late father’s dream and elevate Pakistan’s...