ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: The federal government has imposed restriction on the foreigners’ ownership of newspapers in Pakistan, ordering that no foreigner can own or hold any interest in any newspaper from Pakistan more than 25 per cent of the entire proprietorial interest of the newspaper.

The Press, Newspapers, News Agency and Book Registration Ordinance 2002, issued on Saturday night, said that instead of defunct deputy commissioner, the district coordination officer, would issue declaration for the newspaper or news agency.

The Ordinance, which came into effect immediately, had repealed “The West Pakistan Press and Publications Ordinance, 1963”. It, however, provided that every declaration made, subscribed or authenticated under the repealed ordinance or any other law before the commencement of The Press, Newspaper, News Agency, and Book Registration Ordinance, should be deemed to had been made, subscribed or authenticated under the Ordinance.

The DCO had been empowered to cancel the declaration of any newspaper or news agency on the application of the press registrar either suo moto or based on the information through any person.

The person who would violate publish the paper or disseminates news in contravention of the provisions of the law could land in imprisonment for six months.

The law says, “whoever edits, prints or publishes any newspaper in contravention of the provisions of the Ordinance, or whoever edits, prints or publishes, shall be punishable with fine not exceeding Rs20,000 or with imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or with both.

“The page in charge shall, in the supervision and superintendence of editor, be responsible for checking the contents of the pages and ensure due satisfaction of the material sent to the printer and publisher for publication,” it says.

The law further provides that “every publisher shall submit the intimation in writing, as furnished by the editor, with respect to the responsibilities of page in charge with his acceptance to the office of concerned district coordination officer and a copy to the press registrar”.

The law says: “No person, who is not a citizen of Pakistan, shall own or hold any interest in any newspaper printed or published in a province except with the previous approval of the government, and no such person shall in any case own or hold more than 25 per cent of the entire proprietorial interest of any such newspaper, whether in the form of shares or by way of sole ownership, partnership or otherwise.”