Govt to establish media courts, says Firdous

KARACHI: The Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, has said the present government will establish media courts to adjudicate the cases related to media so as to conserve the resources and time of the regular courts.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting (SAPM) said this on Wednesday while talking to newsmen after her meeting with the office-bearers of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA). The special assistant said the proposed media courts would only hear the cases related to the media and would ensure speedy resolution. She said the media moves regular courts against the government, Pemra and other government institutions, which leads to wastage of precious resources and time of courts in hearing them.

Dr Awan said the social media does not fall under the domain of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and said a new policy would soon be introduced for the digitalization of media. She said lately new licenses were issued by the government to 58 new TV channels including those that would air the news content. She said the government has earned Rs5 billion revenue from bidding of licenses for the new TV channels. The SAPM said the PBA had objected to this move as the existing TV cable system doesn't have the capacity to carry larger number of TV channels. She said the digitization would provide a solution to the issue.

Dr Awan said with the launching of new TV channels in the country, new job opportunities would be provided. She emphasised for implementing Pemra's code of ethics by the electronic media.

She said Prime Minister Imran Khan considers the media as his partner and “we will present the national narrative instead of government’s narrative to make the media our partner”.

Dr Awan said the Pakistani nation once united can defeat the enemy on all the fronts. She said the Indian media is in a state of mourning due to Prime Minister Imran Khan's successful visit of the United States and appreciated the PBA's role in the media war waged by India.

Expressing her pleasure that the PBA is prepared to promote a positive image of Pakistan, the SAPM said “the media owners are truly patriotic and they passionately believe in the slogan of Pakistan comes first.” She said the media is fully standing by with the state for Pakistan's solidarity and they are discharging their role as partners with the government to convey the state's narrative to the masses. She said the efforts of the Pakistani media were praiseworthy.

Dr Awan said the media workers are the backbone of the media industry but are facing problems and their genuine issues should be resolved. She said very soon the media workers would overcome their financial worries.

Dr Awan said the government would not compromise on the issue of salaries of media workers. She pledged the government would formulate a new policy to improve the relations between the employers and media workers. She said the new policy would help in resolving the issues of media workers and those of media owners. The SAPM said the government would introduce and implement a new advertising policy. She said the government machinery was used by the provincial government in the Ghotki by-election. She said a lavish campaign involving millions of rupees was conducted to defeat the candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Ghotki’s by-election, but even then the PPP managed to win the election with a very thin margin.

Criticising the Sindh government, Dr Awan said “children in interior parts of Sindh are dying from hunger and AIDS but the PPP is raising the slogan of Bhutto is still alive there and he is yet to die.” Meanwhile, The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) strongly rejected establishing Media Courts.

APNS President Hameed Haroon Secretary General and Sarmad Ali, in a joint statement, strongly criticised the proposal of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan to establish media courts in the country. They stated that the media is already braving strong pressures in the form of press advices and measures of intimidation from ruling quarters, which tantamount to undeclared censorship. The proposed media courts would be an added and institutionalised lever for arm-twisting of media and reflects the mindset of present power centre that intends to curb voices of dissent by all means.

In a statement, the APNS office-bearers pointed out that in the presence of dispute and complaints resolution forum like the Press Council of Pakistan and Pemra, there was no justification to form special courts for the media.

They urged upon the federal government to withdraw the proposal of Media Courts forthwith if it does not intend to strangulate the media in the country. The APNS reiterated its resolve to protect freedoms of press and expression in the country and continue to perform the role of watchdog of the rights of people of Pakistan.

The Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) also rejected the proposal.

In a statement, CPNE President Arif Nizami and Secretary General Dr Jabbar Khattak said the CPNE stands against any kind of discriminatory legislation and would oppose discriminatory media law.

“Press Council of Pakistan, PEMRA’s Commission of Complaints, Wage Board Implementation Tribunal and other laws and forums are very much there for the resolution of such conflicts and issues.”

CPNE office-bearers said the formation of media courts is discriminatory step and such a move will be considered an attack on media freedom and tantamount to increasing pressure on media and journalists.