Government Aims to Bury The Hatchet Over Press Freedom

After uproar from media giants over proposed bill to constitute Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), the government forms a committee to bury the hatchet with stakeholders over press freedom.

On June 2, the ministry of information and broadcasting has constituted a four-member committee.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has constituted a committee to liaise with the stakeholders to deliberate on the prospects of the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA). @fawadchaudhry pic.twitter.com/xzd0ucBqCd

— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) June 2, 2021

The committee is going to be headed by State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib.

Read Also

‘Layoff Forced us to Sell Bodies to Feed Our Families’

The measure has been taken after different media organizations including Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) decided to resist the formation of PMDA.

A press release by PBA following its June 1 meeting said that the proposed authority was intended to hinder media freedom and gain control over it through apex information bureaucracy.

The media organizations called it a draconian law and recalled that a similar attempt was made during Ayub Khan’s regime to crush press freedom.

The press release said the media bodies would resist the establishment of PMDA legally, demonstratively, and through advertisement campaigns for sensitizing the public.

It was also decided in the meeting to form a joint action committee of PBA, APNS, CPNE, PFUJ, and AEMEND representatives.

With the formation of a high-level committee, the government seems serious to end tiff over the establishment of PMDA and bury the hatchet with stakeholders over press freedom.