PEMRA chairman: Ex-DG enforcement lobbying for post

Majeed has assured the president that he will “sort out” all anti-PPP channels.

LAHORE: The former director general (DG) for enforcement at Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Rana Altaf Majeed is lobbying to become the new chairman of Pemra, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Sources revealed that the Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah is backing him. Both Qaim and Majeed have assured the president that if the latter is appointed as the chairman he will “sort out” all anti-Pakistan Peoples Party channels with a firm hand.

Media sources said that such an appointment will create tension between Pemra and the electronic media as well as between the authority and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

A couple of months ago Majeed joined the Staff College for a course compulsory for promotion to the next grade, BPS 20-21.

Sources said that the CM has assured the top federal government personalities that if they give a chance to Rana Altaf Majeed as chairman, he will handle the electronic media much better than the existing chairman. In this connection the CM has arranged a meeting between Majeed and those important personalities.

Sources said that a couple of months ago the federal government had offered three posts to Rana Altaf Majeed, which included Inspector General of Police Balochistan, Inspector General of Police Azad Jammu & Kashmir and even Chairman Pemra but he had refused the offers due to some reasons. Majeed had earlier served as DIG Head Quarters in Sindh. When contacted, Majeed requested not to publish this information and in an attempt to deny this piece added that the CM has no role in the appointment of the Pemra chairman because this is a matter of the federal government.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2010.