Peshawar
A Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Nighat Yasmin Orakzai has condemned the notice given by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (PEMRA) to stop anchors from participating in programmes of other media houses as experts, stating that the federal government was engaging in measures worse than dictators to pressurise independent media.
Speaking during a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, the PPP MPA said that the media industry in Pakistan was small and it would shrink further with the brutal attitude of the federal government.
The legislator submitted a ‘call to attention’ motion against the order of PEMRA in the provincial assembly. PEMRA has issued a clarification in this regard, stating that it had not banned the participation of journalists in talk shows and that it had only excluded anchors from expressing their personal opinions, biases, and judgments during their talk shows.
Orakzai forwarded the ‘call to attention’ letter to the speaker of the KP assembly so that a proper briefing from the information ministry regarding PEMRA’s notification could be held.
The MPA stated that the order was another slap on the freedom of press in Pakistan and a step towards curtailing media freedom in the country.
She added that due to the unfair attitude of the government, the media industry was unable to stand on its own feet and day after day, notices placing strange obligations on media were given.
Orakzai demanded that the provincial information minister must brief this house about the agenda behind imposing such bans on media houses.
She further stated that Instead of resolving issues faced by both young and senior journalists, the government was busy in banning people on screen. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government is engaging in measures worse than those of dictators to pressurise independent media,” she argued.
A Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Nighat Yasmin Orakzai has condemned the notice given by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (PEMRA) to stop anchors from participating in programmes of other media houses as experts, stating that the federal government was engaging in measures worse than dictators to pressurise independent media.
Speaking during a session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, the PPP MPA said that the media industry in Pakistan was small and it would shrink further with the brutal attitude of the federal government.
The legislator submitted a ‘call to attention’ motion against the order of PEMRA in the provincial assembly. PEMRA has issued a clarification in this regard, stating that it had not banned the participation of journalists in talk shows and that it had only excluded anchors from expressing their personal opinions, biases, and judgments during their talk shows.
Orakzai forwarded the ‘call to attention’ letter to the speaker of the KP assembly so that a proper briefing from the information ministry regarding PEMRA’s notification could be held.
The MPA stated that the order was another slap on the freedom of press in Pakistan and a step towards curtailing media freedom in the country.
She added that due to the unfair attitude of the government, the media industry was unable to stand on its own feet and day after day, notices placing strange obligations on media were given.
Orakzai demanded that the provincial information minister must brief this house about the agenda behind imposing such bans on media houses.
She further stated that Instead of resolving issues faced by both young and senior journalists, the government was busy in banning people on screen. “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government is engaging in measures worse than those of dictators to pressurise independent media,” she argued.