PEMRA

PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) is a constitutionally founded federal institute. It is an independent founded under the 2002 PEMRA Ordinance to regulate and facilitate private and independent electronic media.

PEMRA is working with the mandate to upgrade standards and quality of entertainment, education, and information and widen the options available to the Pakistani audience, including religious knowledge, current affairs, news, science & technology, and art & culture.

Many media activists consider it merely a license issuing authority. This article has all the information about it, including PEMRA History.

PEMRA History

The Pakistani government developed the PEMRA as a media policy and strategy reform. In 2000 the foundation of this regulatory authority was initiated during President Pervaiz’s tenure through the establishment of RAMBO (Regulatory Authority for Media Broadcast Organizations) assigned to ameliorate standards of entertainment, education, and information, widen the option availability for Pakistani viewers. 

Views about PEMRA

Several pro-democratic activists consider this 4-point mandate as a solid base supporting media liberalization and democracy processes. However, many media practitioners consider PEMRA only as a license-issuing authority to implement media broadcasters’ administrative barriers.

They call it an Extortion body that takes charges from broadcasting-operators legally. 

Utilization of PEMRA Rules

Musharraf utilized the PEMRA rules in his tenure to tame electronic media. He closed some stations and kept some stations under harassment using those laws. Former police officials and bureaucrats dominated the twelve-member authority.

However, media activists are not comfortable with the twelve-member committee’s foundation, and they highlight a need for media representation. According to senior media journalist Matiullah Jan, Radio and T.V. regulation should be via the representation and participation of stakeholders.

PEMRA Board should be restructured with eminent independent people, while it still consists of ex-police officials and bureaucrats. The leadership of PEMRA agrees that this institute requires more engagement with stakeholders. 

Mandate of PEMRA

1. Ensure good governance, transparency, and accountability by optimizing the flow of information. 
2. Ameliorate standards of entertainment, education, and information.
3. Facilitate the transfer of power and responsibility to grassroots by upgrading individuals’ access to mass-media at the community and local level.
4. Widen the options available to Pakistani individuals in media for economic development, music, drama, sports, social-sector issues, religious knowledge, art & culture, news, current affairs, and national and public interest subjects. 

PEMRA Functions

The authority regulates and facilitates the operation and establishment of distribution services and broadcast media for the district, international, national, provincial, local, and select target viewers. 

PEMRA Authority Members

1. Muhammad Saleem Baig-Chairperson
2. Ashfaq Jumani-Executive Member
3. Major Gen Retired Azeem Bajwa-Chairperson PTA
4. Muhammad Javaid Ghani-Chairperson FBR
5. Muhammad Arifeen-Member
6. Faisal Sher Jan-Member
7. Safia Malik-Member
8. Farah Azeem Shah-Member
9. Syed Hussain Abuzar-Member
10. Zahida Parveen-Secretary Minister of Information and Broadcasting
11. Yousaf Nadeem-Secretary Interior Ministry

Pemra Administrative Structure

1. Muhammad Saleem Baig-Chairperson
2. Ashfaq Jumani-Executive Member
3. Sardar Arfan Ashraf-DG (Licensing Distribution)
4. Javed Iqbal-DG (Research and Policy)
5. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed-DG (Secretary to Authority)
6. Haji Adam-DG
7. Muhammad Farooq-DG (Operations Distributions)
8. Sohail Asif Ali-DG (HR)
9. Wakil Khan-DG (Licensing Broadcast)
10. Shameem Gul Durrani-DG (Finance)
11. Ashfaq Ahmad-DG (Monitoring)
12. Amjad Ali-General Manager
13. Abdul Jalal-General Manager (Technical)
14. Junaid Nagi-General Manager (Licensing Distributions)
15. Mohammad Tahir-General Manager (Media and PR)
16. Khurram Siddique-General Manager (Administration)
17. Rahat Ali-General Manager/Regional
18. Muhammad Ikram-General Manager/Regional
19. Tariq Mehmood-General Manager (Licensing Broadcast)
20. Umer Waqas-General Manager (Monitoring)
21. Ali Raza-General Manager (HR)
22. Faqeer Afzal-General Manager/Regional
23. Khurram Aftab-General manager
24. Ali Haidar Shah-General Manager (Operations Distributions)
25. Ayesha Manzoor-General Manager (Coordination)

Code of Conduct

The PEMRA license must ensure that:

1. Following contents shouldn’t be broadcasted:
2. Any content that is against Pakistan’s ideology, Islamic values, and founders of Pakistan, including Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
3. Contains anything pornographic, obscene, and indecent.
4. Passes humiliating comments about any community, sect, religion or uses words or visuals disrespectful of ethnic groups or religious sects or which foster a sectarian and communal attitude
5. Contains abusive and disrespectful comments that trigger contempt and hatred against a person or group based on caste, race, ethnicity, status, creed, sect, religion, color, physical or mental disability, gender, and nationality
6. It consists of criticism against the armed forces or judicial system of Pakistan

News and Talk Shows

The license must ensure that:

1. Documentary programs, current affairs, or news shall convey information fairly and accurately.
2. Any analytical or political program should be broadcasted in an organized manner, ensuring the representation of related parties and guests of the show should be treated with respect.
3. News should be adequately distinguished from analysis, commentary, and opinion.
4. Scenes, including bloodshed and dead bodies, shouldn’t be broadcasted.
5. It should be made sure that information on aired via talk shows or programs is not fake, biased, and misleading.
6. Broadcast of hate speech against any party or group, or individual is not allowed.
7. The allegations shouldn’t be broadcasted against any party or person without proper information and investigation.
8. Broadcasting of prohibited or illegal advertisements is not allowed.

Licensing

1. FM Radio
2. MMDS
3. Satellite TV
4. DTH
5. IP T.V.
6. Cable T.V.
7. Landing Rights
8. Mobile T.V.
9. Mobile Audio
10. Temporary Up linking

PEMRA Wings

1. 1. Internal-Audit Wing
   2. Regulation Wing
   3. SD and R Wing
   4. Technical Wing
   5. Human Resource Wing
   6. Litigation Wing
   7. Finance Wing
   8. Media and PR
   9. Information-Technology Wing

Pemra Regional Offices

The regional offices are situated in:

1. 1. Sindh
   2. KPK
   3. Baluchistan
   4. Islamabad 
   5. Multan 
   6. Punjab
   7. AJK
   8. Gilgit

Sub-Offices of PEMRA

The sub-offices are situated in:

1. Sukkur
2. Sargodha
3. Hyderabad
4. Gujranwala
5. Faisalabad
6. D.I. Khan
7. Abbottabad

Social Media Handles

https://twitter.com/reportpemra

Contact Information

Address: PEMRA Headquarters, Mauve Area G-8/1, Islamabad.

Phone No: 92 (51) 9107151-3