ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that the federal government has decided to disband Press council of Pakistan (PCP) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
Talking to media representatives outside the Parliament House in Islamabad on Wednesday, Fawad Chaudhry said that we have decided to establish a new media regulatory authority which will look after electronic, print and social media simultaneously.
Fawad Chaudhry said that a Committee has been set up to streamline government advertisements. He said that in the past, the federal government spent Rs 17 billion on advertisements.
The minister said that the state-run Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) will telecast the Parliament Proceedings live. He said that PTV National will be remembered as ‘PTV Siyasat’.
The information minister also taunted the Chief of Jamiat-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, saying that although the Parliament is ‘bogus’ for the latter but he is interested in contesting the Presidential election.
Earlier speaking in the Senate, Fawad Chaudhry said that entertainment and the film industry will be given priority by the information ministry as per the new policy.
Fawad Chaudhry said that the previous government in the Center spent Rs 17 billion on ads and if the amount spent by the Punjab government is also accumulated then that figures reach Rs 40 billion.
The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given clear instructions that no amount will be spent for self-projection or the publicity of the government. He said that censorship has been lifted on the state-owned media and now the opposition parties are also being given time on the PTV.
Fawad said that PTV has been directed to complete the process of installation of boosters in different areas in three months.
