Ambreen Jan picked as PEMRA chairperson, set to become first woman to lead regulator

Parliamentary committee unanimously approves former information secretary for top media post

Ambreen Jan, a former federal information secretary, has been selected as the new chairperson of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), a move that will make her the first woman to head the electronic media regulator once her appointment is confirmed.

The decision was made on Friday during a meeting of a parliamentary committee chaired by Shehbaz Babar, which was convened to appoint the next head of the influential media regulatory body. The committee unanimously approved Jan’s name.

Following the approval, her nomination was forwarded to President Asif Ali Zardari for final confirmation.

The position had remained vacant since the retirement of the previous Pemra chairperson, Mohammad Saleem Baig, who was appointed in 2018 and stepped down last year.

Jan is a former Grade 22 officer with extensive experience in the media and information sector. She has previously served as managing director of the state broadcaster Pakistan Television, director general of Radio Pakistan and as press counsellor to Bangladesh during a period of strained bilateral relations from 2011 to 2018.

She was shortlisted along with four other candidates for the post, including Brigadier (retd) Anwar Ahmed, Mateen Haider, Irfan Ashraf and Dr Hamid Khan.