Islamabad: July 21, 2026; Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has asked the PEMRA to strengthen its regulatory mechanism for better regulation of electronic media. The Committee also asked the Ministry to take up the issue of payment of salaries to media workers with the media outlets. The Committee met at PEMRA Headquarters, Islamabad this afternoon under the chairmanship of Mr. Pullain Baloch, MNA, for briefing on the PEMRA Councils of Complaints and Authority's performance in fulfilling it's regulatory mandate.

 

The Chairperson and the Executive Director General (Operations) PEMRA briefed the committee about the working and performance of the Authority. The Committee was apprised that PEMRA under the Act had been mandated to facilitate and regulate electronic media. The Executive Director General also apprised the Committee about the organizational structure of the Authority, composition of PEMRA Board and Councils of Complaints. He informed that PEMRA was entrusted to listen to the complaints regarding non payment of salaries to electronic media workers through amendment in the Act of Parliament, 2023. He further informed that relevant clauses of the Act were also amended to strengthen the regulatory mechanism of the Authority. He informed about the pending and disposed of complaints with the Authority and the Councils of Complaints.  

 

Regarding PEMRA Authority and the Councils of Complaints, he apprised that the Council of Complaints at Federal as well as Provincial level were competent to decide the complaints lodged with them and to recommend to the PEMRA Authority of disposal of complaints either in shape of punitive/corrective measures or otherwise. He further apprised that CoCs of Islamabad and Balochistan had been notified whereas the summary for constitution of CoCs of Balochistan and Sindh had already been submitted and awaiting approval of the competent authority.

 

The Committee suggested for strict implementation of Code of Conduct for airing dramas and advertisements on TV Channels conforming the same with the social and religious norms. The Committee also asked the Ministry to link th  clearance of dues of media outlets with timely payment of salaries of media workers. 

 

The meeting was attended by, Mr. Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, MNAs; Mr. Saad Waseem, Mr. Nadeem Abbas, Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli, Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Ms. Kiran Haider, Ms. Shaheen, Ms. Sehar Kamran, Syed Amin Ul Haque, Ms. Rana Ansar, Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (through Zoom), Ms. Kiran Imran Dar (through Zoom) Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chairperson PEMRA and other officers of departments under the Ministry and the PEMRA.