PEMRA Law Promulgated in Pakistan with Procedural Changes: Info Minister
By Aziz Malik 'Pakistan Times' Federal Bureau Chief

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani Tuesday said that the media freedom is government's commitment and conviction and it would stand by this policy. "Press freedom is the commitment and conviction of this government.

This is also a result of the sacrifices rendered by the journalist community," he said while taking to media here after his meeting with a media delegation from Afghanistan who called on him at his office.

Media freedom in the country "is our credit and this would be maintained," he said, pointing out that Pakistan is the only country with unprecedented media freedom in the entire region.

To a question regarding the PEMRA Amendment Ordinance, the Minister refuted the reports claiming media curbs.

"There are no curbs on the media and the government and the media have unequaled cordial ties," he said.

He said the talk of curbs is a result of an environment created by certain elements who aim at developing a government-media confrontation and creating misunderstandings between the government and other institutions.

The Minister said this environment would end soon. "We have invited the stakeholders to take them on board regarding the situation. We would resolve all issues through dialogue and consultation as we have done in the past," he said.

He said that the PEMRA ordinance has been promulgated with some procedural changes.

"This is an ordinance which would be tabled in the parliament where the relevant committee would discuss it. The parliament is the forum where it would be discussed and then after passage from both the house, it would become a law," he said.

The government would take all the stakeholders on board regarding the PEMRA ordinance, he said, adding that there were some issues of the cable operators with the television channels and the government would resolve all these issues amicably.

The Minister said that there was no need for panic and the government would resolve the outstanding issues.

Earlier, talking to the Afghan Media delegation, Durrani said that Pakistan and Afghanistan governments should develop inter-dependency to take the ongoing process of peace and development ahead.

He said the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan are tied in historic, religious and brotherly relations. He stressed the need to strengthen the people-to-people contacts.

The Minister said that strong Pak-Afghan media relations would further cement the bilateral ties and contacts between the peoples of the two countries.

"Pakistan and Afghanistan share historical, cultural, religious and lingual ties. The media from both the sides can further cement these ties. Pakistan is willingly expanding the bilateral media relations and there is a dire need for both the brotherly states to collaborate in the electronic and print media fields," he said.

Additional Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Fazl-ur-Rehman Malik, Managing Director APP Rai Riaz Hussain, PIO Rasheed Chaudhry, MD PBC Javed Akhtar, DG EP Wing Sohail Mansoor and Director Minister's Office Qamar Bashir were also present.

The Minister said the PTV is collaborating with the Afghan TV channels and Pakistani plays, music and other programmes are being aired in Afghanistan with Pushto sub-titles. He said that this is fifth media delegation from Afghanistan to visit Pakistan since January 2007.

"The government and people of Pakistan wish the progress and prosperity of our Afghan brethren. Pakistan has also played an important part in the ongoing reconstruction of Afghanistan. The Ministry of Information is willing to cooperate and collaborate with Afghan media. We would soon sign agreements for collaboration between APP and the state news agency of Afghanistan, Bakhtar."

The academies of PTV, PBC and Information Service Academy are also open for training facilities to the Afghan media personnel and "would also allocate a special quota in the Media University which would be operational in October this year," he said.

The Minister said that both Afghanistan and Pakistan were facing terrorism and extremism and the media can play an important role in elimination of this menace.

DTH Service

An earlier report said that Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani Monday said the government is evolving a foolproof mechanism for electronic media in providing them Direct to Home (DTH) service for uninterrupted transmission for viewers.

"We are working on to evolve a foolproof mechanism to provide DTH service for uninterrupted transmission, which would be implemented in two to three months," the Information Minister told Geo television. He was commenting on suspension of transmission of some private TV channels by cable operators.

He said, Pakistan is the only country among the Muslim countries, which allowed cross-media transmission to go on air.

To a question the Minister said, today press was free and there is complete national consensus on journalistic policies and "Free media is our identity."

But he said, differences between media and government emerge, when programmes against the sanctity of national institutions are allowed to go on air.

Freedom of press does not allow to insult judiciary and Pak army, which has to safeguard frontiers of the country against any foreign aggression, Durrani added.

He said, patriotism demands that national institutions should not be politicised for personal gains.

He said, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has been directed to convene the meeting of private television channel owners to prepare code of conduct for their programmes.●