The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), the International Publishers Association (IPA), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have urged the Pakistani authorities to withdraw plans for establishing the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), Geo News reported.
The WAN-IRFA, in a statement, said that the authority would impose “strict state controls over media”, adding that the proposed changes are aimed at centralising all regulations pertaining to media under a single authority.
“The PMDA would replace the media regulatory bodies and would oversee “films, electronic, print and digital media” across every domain, from registrations to wages, licensing to the allocation of government advertising, as well as both civil and criminal complaints procedures,” read the statement.
Furthermore, the statement said that serious concerns have also been raised regarding the proposed PMDA as half of the authority’s board members, including the chairman, will be appointed by the state.
It maintained that WAN-IFRA, IPA, and IJF are alarmed by the provision that vests the proposed authority the power to shortlist members of media tribunals, to hand down punishments of up to three years in jail, and fines of up to a Rs25million while the decisions made by the media tribunals can only be appealed before the Supreme Court.
The three organisations have also expressed serious concerns about the secrecy behind the process of drafting the PDMA law.
WAN-IFRA CEO Vincent Peyrègne said that the association urges the government of Pakistan to actively collaborate with the media representatives on “any such proposed law”, given its wide-ranging authority and a high potential for the infringement of freedom of media.
“Declarations from the government that explain the new law simply as a strategy to curb disinformation only confirm suspicions that it is instead a set of broad regulations designed to undermine critical speech and unduly control the media,” said Peyrègne.
The IPA secretary general said, “The association stands alongside news publishers and journalists in calling for the Pakistani authorities to withdraw their plans for PMDA. The potential impact on freedom of expression and the freedom to publish is clear and it is alarming to see the current health crisis being used as cover to stifle independent media.”
IFJ Secretary General Anthony Bellanger said, “The IFJ strongly urges Pakistan’s government to listen to the industry and take a step back, consult and engage with the media on much-needed reforms that will support and enable a sustainable, strong and independent media into the future.”
