Himalayan News Service

Islamabad, May 17:

A bill formally removing cross-media restrictions by allowing newspaper owners to run television channels has been passed by the lower house of the Pakistani parliament, three years after an ordinance was issued on the subject.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Khan Niazi yesterday moved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) (Amendment) Bill in the National Assembly, which passed it after a clause-by-clause discussion and voice vote. The bill replaces an ordinance issued by President Pervez Musharraf in 2002 under which cross-media ownership is already in place in Pakistan. The cabinet of then prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali had in July 2003 cleared the bill to replace the ordinance.

The bill will strengthen the enforcement mechanism by conferring additional powers on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to impose and recover fines, acquire search warrants and seize equipment used for illegal operations, The News reported today. Violators can be fined up to Rs 1 million.

The bill will now be sent to the Senate for ratification but this is considered a formality as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League has the required numbers to ensure its passage.

The bill, in effect, formalises the TV operations of the Jang group, one of Pakistan’s largest media houses.