ISLAMABAD- The leading media organisations have totally rejected theproposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) Ordinance, terming themove an unconstitutional and draconian law aimed against freedom of pressand expression and a step towards imposing state control to regulate theestablishment as well as operation of all segments of media.
It came during a joint meeting of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS),Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan NewspaperEditors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ, Barna Group),PFUJ (Dastoor Group) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and NewsDirectors (AEMEND).
The joint meeting was of the unanimous opinion that the proposed PMDA isintended to hinder media freedom and take control over the media by the topinformation bureaucracy.
The concept is an attempt to tighten the federal government’s hold over themedia through one draconian authority ignoring the fact that print, digitaland electronic media are separate entities each with their own definedfeatures and respective regulatory laws.
The move appears as an extension of the now defunct Press and PublicationsOrdinance 1963 (PPO) of the Ayub Khan era to all media platforms withregimental provisions to take over the independent and free media.
“This has no place in a democratically elected dispensation,” the jointdeclaration stated.
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The joint meeting decided to resist the establishment of PMDA at all levelsincluding legal recourse, protest measures and advertising campaigns toeducate the public against this blatant attempt to subjugate and controlthe media and curtail people’s right to know.
The meeting decided to form a Joint Action Committee of APNS, PBA, CPNE,PFUJ and AEMEND to decide further actions and seek support from politicalparties, bar associations, human right organisations and other segments ofthe civil society to oppose the proposed attack on media and urge upon thefederal government to immediately withdraw the proposal.
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