No new media law to be introduced without consultation: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Information and Broadcasting Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Thursday that government would not amend or introduce any new law about media without consultation of their representatives.

Speaking during the meeting of Council of Pakistan Newspapers’ Editors Council (CPNE) here, he said the government believed in freedom of expression and regulation did not mean censorship.

He said that for good legislation, consensus among all the stakeholders was needed and the government would take opposition parties on-board before introducing new legislation.

The minister said that freedom achieved by media during past few decades was a landmark achievement and which was unique in third world countries.

He clarified that a new media authority would be established to replace the existing Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and Press Council of Pakistan and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

The unified authority, he said, would provide one-window facility to the media outlets and the general public for redressal of the complaints.

He added the measure would help save national resources as the new regulatory body would look after electronic, print and social media simultaneously.

He said that the government has decided to constitute the Information Commission under the Right to Information Act (RTI) enacted last year and first information commissioner would be appointed within one month time to ensure access to the information.

He said access to information for media and general public was vital to ensure transparency and good governance.

Chaudhry Fawad said there would be a need to ultimately move to digital portals and a transition towards modernization is needed for the future and that would also require changes in marketing strategies.

Chaudhry Fawad reiterated that his ministry has ended 70 year old censorship of state media.

About official advertisements, he said that the government wants to introduce a transparent mechanism for their distribution and the input from media organization would be welcomed in this connection.

He said that the previous government spent Rs 21 billion on advertisements and the money spent by Punjab government is also included the figure touches Rs 55 billion mark.

The present government, he said would issue advertisements as per requirement and keeping in mind the survival of the newspaper industry.

The minister said that the PTI government has started implementing its manifesto and taken unprecedented initiatives to put the country on the path to progress and prosperity.