PEMRA ORDINANCE

PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Authority) established an ordinance in 2002, which is known as PEMRA ORDINANCE was implemented to monitor and facilitate private channels in Pakistan. It was important to regulate all private channels to improve the standard of educations, news, current affairs, entertainment, and science and technologies sectors. PEMRA does ensure about accountability, transparency and good governance by optimizing the free flow of information.

PEMRA doesn’t not only monitor electronic media but it also monitors FM RADIO, SATELITE TV, MMDS (Multichannel multipoint distribution service (MMDS) also known as wireless cable (wireless telecommunications technology) and many others.

PEMRA ORDINANCE 2002

In PEMRA ordinance 2002 PEMRA made some rules for all channels and services provider that how they should run their business and what will be the major responsibility of these channels PEMRA also set some rules which must be followed when channels run their content and flow chart. PEMRA also established some terms in their ordinance, which were mandatory to follow. Some of them are given below.

1- Respects the sovereignty, security and integrity of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
2- Respect the national, cultural, social and religious values and the principles of public policy as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
3- Ensure that programmers and advertisements do not encourage violence, terrorism, racial, ethnic or religious discrimination, sectarianism, extremism, militancy or hatred;
4- Broadcast or distribute programmers in the public interest specified by the Federal Government or the Authority in the manner indicated by the Government or, as the case may be, the Authority, provided that the duration of such mandatory programmers do not exceed ten per cent of the total duration of broadcast or operation by a station in twenty-four hours except if, by its own volition, a station chooses to broadcast or distribute such content for a longer duration;
5- Comply with the codes of programmers and advertisements approved by the Authority;
6- Not broadcast or distribute any programmed or advertisement in violation of copyright or other property right;

After reviewing all these terms, do we think our news channels, entertainment channels and radio channels are following a single rule properly.

What are the reasons and who is behind all this nonsense? We don’t know but the only question is why PEMRA doesn’t take any action against such acts? Why Pakistani government is still quiet? Why this nonsense always makes us a foo? What is the objective and what will be the results?

Now I would say that the responsibility of bad image of Pakistani around the world is not only because of Media, but also because of the Government of Pakistan and PEMRA who is the regulating authority and controller of this nonsense.


Regards,
Muhammad Raheel Rauf