Senate body on HR to consider PAPRA bill today
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights will meet today (Thursday) to consider PAPRA bill vis-à-vis freedom of press.
The proposed bill, seeking establishment of Press and Publication Regulatory Authority (PAPRA), is apparently aimed at streamlining and regulating the media industry, but without any consultation with the stakeholders, and has raised fears among press circles that the proposed legislation would prove to be another control mechanism to influence the print media and ultimately impeding freedom of press.
Considering the reservations of the print media stakeholders that PAPRA bill may adversely affect the freedom of the press, Senator S.M. Zafar, Chairman of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, took suo moto notice of the bill on December 18. Thursday’s meeting of the committee would be briefed on PAPRA Bill 2006 vis-à-vis Freedom of Press by the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting.
The meeting of the Functional Committee on Human Rights will be open to the media. Media representatives are cordially invited to witness the proceedings of the Committee meeting. The latest proposed legislation has created concerns for the general public as well as journalist community that idea of establishing a new regulatory body was not floated to elicit public opinion before preparing the draft legislation.
Even the APNS members, who recently met Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, were not informed of any such developments having direct link with their professional responsibilities. Relevant ministries, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have been invited to send representatives for explaining their opinions on the proposed legislation.
Though it is supposed to be separate and autonomous body, five out of its seven members including its chairman belong to the Government in one way or the other, and would be appointed by it. According to the proposed bill, Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shall be an ex-officio chairman of the Authority, who would work under the direct supervision of a grade 21 officer to be taken from Information Group and appointed by the Federal Government.
Director General Internal Publicity, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Principal Information Officer, Press Information Department shall be ex-officio members, while one mass media educationist, to be nominated by the Higher Education Commission, would also be an official member in essence.
Only two members shall be the nominees of All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and the Pakistan Advertising Association (PAA) respectively, thereby showing a clear tilt in favor of the Government.
Besides, going by its constitution and the powers assigned to this body, it is evident that the proposed regulatory body would be used intrusively as a lever on press rather than serving the purpose of putting in place a regulatory mechanism for the healthy growth of print media industry, and regulating affairs of print media-the two stated objectives of the intended new legislation.
Among many of clauses in the proposed bill dealing with cognizance of offences, one of them empowers a First Class Magistrate to pass any sentence authorized by this bill or under any other applicable law, notwithstanding anything contained in Section 32 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act of 1898).