Newspaper/TV channel: Senate body asks ministry to take up issue with Cabinet

Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History, and Literary Heritage Tuesday directed the ministry to take up with the federal cabinet the issue of unannounced censorship on circulation/ broadcast of a newspaper/private TV channel.
The meeting was held here with Senator Faisal Javed Khan in the chair. The committee meeting asked the caretaker government to take cognizance of concern on unannounced censorship and take all steps to address these reservations to ensure media freedom as enshrined in the Constitution.
The committee directed the Ministry of Information to take the issue of unannounced censorship and reported ban on circulation/ broadcast of a newspaper/private TV channel to the federal cabinet so that a holistic view of the matter is taken and necessary instructions to the quarters concerned are passed for addressing these reservations.
Afzal Butt, a senior journalist said that there are two major issues facing the media. First is the unannounced censorship on media across the country. The second issue is ban on circulation of Dawn as well as broadcast of Dawn News in cantonment areas. President RIUJ Mubarak Zeb Khan provided some details about specific issues and concerns.
The secretary information informed the committee that as per government's stated and clear policy, media freedom and equality with all media houses are being ensured. He said that the Information Division and all its allied departments are discharging responsibilities within their domains in fair and impartial way, adding that all advertisements are being given on equality basis to media including Dawn.
He maintained there is absolutely no censorship from the division; however, media houses have been asked to follow Election Commission of Pakistan's laid down code of conduct in its true spirit. He also brought on record that till holding of this meeting, no formal complaint had been lodged by Dawn or Dawn News channel with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) or Press Information Department (PID) with regard to censorship or ban on circulation or broadcast respectively in any part of the country.
The chairman committee observed that caretaker minister for information should have attended the meeting to apprise the committee of the government's stance on media concern. He said that media freedom needs to be ensured and it is the responsibility of Ministry of Information to take ownership of all such matters and address all issues facing the print and electronic media in the country.