JournalismPakistan.com
September 10, 2021

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has urged the federal government to share the draft of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PMDA) bill with the parliament and the journalists’ organizations.

“All media associations of the country have rejected this dictatorial law as this is just another attempt by the government to silence its critics,” PPP Parliamentary Leader in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman said.

“Even the European Union (EU) has taken notice of the fact that no official text related to the PMDA has been made available. What exactly is the government trying to hide? This secrecy has made it obvious that the government is going to use this draconian law to muzzle the press.”

Rehman said that everyone was aware that the government was putting curbs on the media to hide its incompetence. She said that establishing the authority has become doubtful and controversial. The journalists’ organizations have announced protests against the controversial authority.

She asked why the draft bill on authority was still kept secret. What is in the draft law of the authority that the government is trying to hide? Where is the government consulting without a draft law?

The senator said that the PPP strongly rejects this crackdown on the media and press, which outright violates Articles 19 and 19A.  She said that PPP would fully support peaceful protests of journalists’ organizations on September 13 outside the parliament.

“PPP vehemently opposes PMDA and will fully support the journalists and their protests against this unconstitutional law,” Rehman said.

Photo: Twitter (@SherryRehmanFan)