The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to strengthen its regulatory framework for electronic media and urged the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to address delayed salary payments to media workers.

On July 21, during a meeting at PEMRA headquarters in Islamabad chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, the committee reviewed PEMRA’s performance and the functioning of its Councils of Complaints. The PEMRA Chairperson and the Executive Director General (Operations) briefed committee members on the authority’s regulatory role, organisational structure, and the 2023 amendments to the PEMRA Act, which empower the regulator to address complaints regarding the non-payment of salaries to electronic media workers.

The Executive Director General (Operations) briefed the committee on pending and resolved complaints and said the federal and provincial Councils of Complaints are authorised to resolve complaints and recommend corrective or punitive action to the PEMRA Authority.

The committee was informed that the Councils of Complaints for Islamabad and Balochistan have been notified, while those for Punjab and Sindh are awaiting approval. It also urged stricter enforcement of the electronic media code of conduct, particularly for television dramas and advertisements, and recommended making the release of government dues to media outlets conditional on the timely payment of employees’ salaries.

The session saw participation from key figures including Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, and various committee members such as Saad Waseem, Nadeem Abbas, and Asia Naz Tanoli among others. Several attended through digital means, including Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Kiran Imran Dar. High-ranking officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, along with the PEMRA Chairperson and other departmental heads, were also present.