PEMRA should be an independent institution: Marvi Memon

Lahore: Marvi Memon, Chairperson National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage on Wednesday said country is passing through critical phase and the role of media has become very important at this juncture.

Pakistani media is entering into a new era and it should know all the prerequisites of this time to effectively cope with the challenges.

Ms Memon said this while speaking at launch of the 2nd edition of, “Report and Recommendations of  the Media Commission” appointed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2013 organised by German foundation Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

She informed that Government has endorsed the 90 to 95 percent recommendation of the report of Media Commission which calls for radical reforms needed in the media industry.

Ministry of Information has also worked on the report but implementation would require effort of all the stakeholders, she added.

Senator Javed Jabbar, Member Media Commission, Mazhar Arif, Executive Director Society for Alternative Media and Research, Philipp Kauppert, Resident Director FES Pakistan and others also spoke on the occasion.

They said that social media has gain prominence but it is not a substitute to print media which is far more responsible as compare to social media.

Speakers called for improved self-censorship, feedback, ethics and language which is getting weaker while corporate interests are getting importance in some media houses.

Editors, reporters, anchors and members of civil society criticised certain policies regarding media and demanded that PEMRA should be an independent institution.

Leading journalists, anchors, editors, representatives of NGOs also participated in the event and raised many interesting questions during the open debate. They lauded the recommendations and asked for implementation.

They said that government should immediately implement the recommendations of the report to make media more effective, responsible and according to aspirations of the masses.

The organisers thanked all the 166 individuals from 81 organizations from both the public and private sectors for benefiting the Commission with their respective views, information and suggestions.