Pakistan Media Development Agency that rejected the proposal by the All Pakistan Press Association

• APNS called PMDA “an unconstitutional and strict law against freedom of press and speech.”
• Said that the proposal ignores the fact that each media is an independent entity with its own defined characteristics.
• The media organization requested a joint meeting of the Senate and the National Assembly to reject PMDA.

The All Pakistan Newspaper Association (APNS) rejected the proposed Pakistan Media Development Agency (PMDA), saying it was the government’s attempt to restrict its control of the media.

APNS sent a letter to the editors of all media organizations on Wednesday, asking them to publish and enforce the following statement:

“Representatives of media organizations, namely APNS, Pakistan Newspaper Editors Committee, Pakistan Broadcasting Association, Pakistan Federation of Journalists and Association of Electronic Media Editors and Directors of Information, totally rejected the proposed PMDA in a joint statement.”

The society referred to PMDA’s idea as “unconstitutional and strict laws against freedom of press and speech,” and tried to control and regulate all parts of the media under “overly centralized institutions.”

In addition, the association insisted in the letter that representatives of media organizations also opposed the proposed PMDA.

According to this letter, relevant stakeholders believe that the proposal aims to strengthen the center’s control over the media through a single platform, while ignoring the fact that print, electronic and social media are all independent entities with their own defined characteristics.

“Mobile brings [them] There is a smell of authoritarianism under state control and should not have a place in the distribution of democratic elections,” the letter reads.

It further pointed out that media organizations requested a joint Senate and National Assembly information meeting, where PMDA could be rejected altogether.

Government proposes media regulations

In May of this year, the federal government drafted the 2021 PMDA regulations.

The proposed law aims to repeal several existing laws:

• Press Council Regulations 2002
• Newspapers, Newspapers, News Agency and Books Registration Ordinance 2002
• Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973
• Pakistan Electronic Media Regulations 2002 as amended by PEMRA Amendment Act 2007
• Film Regulations 1979

On the contrary, according to the decree, the Pakistan Media Development Agency will be established.

What is PMDA?

The regulations describe PDMA as an “independent, efficient, effective and transparent” organization that will supervise all forms of media, including digital media.

In fact, according to the regulations, print and digital media also need to be licensed to establish and operate in the country.