Jang Group is busy leading a campaign against the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) directly as well as its offshoots.
Sources said that besides Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), many journalists’ bodies are also raising concerns on proposed PMDA.
However, State Minister Farrukh Habib said, “Our focus is on job security for the journalist community, working journalists, and media workers, which is being ensured in this bill”, the state minister claimed”.
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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.
Interestingly, News360 learned that the leadership of several organizations is in the hands of Jang Group owned by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman.
All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) President Sarmad Ali, the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) President Azhar Abbas, National Press Club (NPC) President Shakeel Anjum, Karachi Press Club (KPC) President Fazil Jamili and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Federal Executive Council (FEC) committee member Afzal Butt.
Earlier, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry lashed out at the media owners and labeled them as ‘Kaalia’.
He said that most of them have formed their own journalistic organizations for the protection of interests.