CPNE disapproves info minister’s move

Says it reminds one of old Press ordinance

Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has disapproved the announcement made by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry that media institutions will be merged into one organization, according to a CPNE handout.
In a note CPNE President Arif Nizami, Senior Vice-President Imtinan Shahid and Secretary-General Dr Jabbar Khattak have commented on the announcement that an organisation called Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) would be created by dissolving media-related institutions. They said that consulting stakeholders including editors, journalists and publishers were vitally important for any legislation and fundamental decision making.



They reminded that CPNE, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, democratic political workers and civil society have waged a long struggle for cancellation of the infamous press and regulation ordinance because making discriminatory laws for media is considered a wrong action.
CPNE has a clear stance that media does not need any discriminatory laws and media should be allowed to work under the general laws.
The fact, that every media category including print, electronic and digital has its different types of specific issues, nature, and operating methods, should also be taken into consideration and, therefore, handling all media categories with one single law will be like ignoring ground realities.



The office-bearers said that though the freedom of the media in Pakistan is not much exemplary, whatever the limited freedom we have is the result of long struggle and sacrifices by people of Pakistan and especially democratic political workers, civil society and journalists and as a result of this long struggle, the constitution of Pakistan recognised the expression, awareness and access to information for all citizens of Pakistan as basic rights and guaranteeing the implementation of these is the basic duty of all state and government institutions.
The CPNE leaders said that any law and step that shows the ambitions of controlling media in the name of the media regulation will never gain respect, support and acceptance in Pakistan.
CPNE feels that it is need of the time that media-related laws be updated and improved to fulfill the constitutional and public demands.
However, before any formula, the decision of legislation consulting relevant parties was extremely necessary and handing over the subject of information to provinces according to the demands of the 18th amendment will be the only thing appreciable.