LAHORE, June 5: Journalists and civil society organisations on Tuesday protested against the presidential ordinance giving the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) sweeping powers to control the media.

Representatives of the Punjab Union of Journalists, the Lahore Press Club, the Pakistan Electronic Media Journalists Association, the Joint Action Committee, the Pakistan Labour Party and other organisations protested against the changes to the laws governing the media.

They demanded that the ordinance should be taken back immediately and the right to information of the people must be restored. “By taking the media freedom back, the government is taking anti-democratic steps”.

They announced that the journalists would take out a procession in front of the Punjab Assembly Building on Thursday (tomorrow) and the rallyists would go to the Governor’s House where their leaders would speak.