Media in Pakistan provides information on television, radio, cinema, newspapers,

and magazines in Pakistan. Veteran dissident and intellectualNoam Chomsky stated in an interview
which he repeated some of his well-known comments about the control of the media, he said: I spent
three weeks in India and a week in Pakistan. A friend of mine here, (he was in London when he was
interviewed) Iqbal Ahmed, told me that I would be surprised to find that the media in Pakistan is more
open, free and vibrant than that in India. He added: In Pakistan, I listened to and read the media which
go to a increasingly large part of the population. Apparently, the government, no matter how repressive it
is, is willing to say to them that you have your fun, we are not going to bother you. So they dont interfere
with it.
[1]

Christine Fair, a senior political analyst and specialist in South Asian political and military affairs at
the Rand Corporation praised the Pakistani Media as a role model and an example for other Muslim
countries to follow by stating "The only hope for Pakistanis is that the media will continue to mobilise
people. The media have done a great job, even if they are at times very unprofessional, and have to
come to term with the limits between journalism and political engagement."
[2]

Contents
[hide]
1 Overview
2 History
3 Role in exposing corruption
4 Challenges
5 International co-operation
o 5.1 Pakistan - US Journalists Exchange Program
o 5.2 International Center for Journalists
6 Regulation
o 6.1 History
o 6.2 Legal framework
6.2.1 Constitution
6.2.2 Media laws
6.2.3 Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
7 Television
8 Radio
9 Cinema
10 Newspapers and magazines
11 News Agencies
o 11.1 Press Council and Newspaper Regulation
12 See also
13 References
14 External links
Overview[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please
help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
material may be challenged and removed. (November 2013)
Since 2002, the Pakistani media has become powerful and independent and the number of private
television channels has grown from just three state-run channels in 2000 to 89 in 2012, according to
the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Most of the private media in Pakistan flourished
under the Musharraf regime.
Pakistan has a vibrant media landscape and enjoys independence to a large extent. After having been
liberalised in 2002, the television sector experienced a media boom. In the fierce competitive environment
that followed commercial interests became paramount and quality journalism gave way to sensationalism.
Although the radio sector has not seen similar growth, independent radio channels are numerous and
considered very important sources of information - especially in the rural areas.
The Pakistani media landscape reflects a multi-linguistic, multi-ethnic and class-divided society. There is
a clear divide between Urdu and English media. The Urdu media, particularly the newspapers, are widely
read by the masses - mostly in rural areas. The English media is urban and elite-centric, is more liberal
and professional compared to the Urdu media. English print, television and radio channels have far
smaller audiences than their Urdu counterparts, but have greater leverage among opinion makers,
politicians, the business community and the upper strata of society.
Pakistan has a vibrant media landscape; among the most dynamic and outspoken in South Asia. To a
large extent the media enjoys freedom of expression. More than 89 television channels beam soaps,
satire, music programmes, films, religious speech, political talk shows, and news of the hour. Although
sometimes criticised for being unprofessional and politically biased, the television channels have made a
great contribution to the media landscape and to Pakistani society.
Radio channels are numerous and considered a very important source of information - especially in the
rural areas. Besides the state channel Radio Pakistan, a number of private radios carry independent
journalistic content and news. But most radio content is music and entertainment. There are hundreds of
Pakistani newspapers from the large national Urdu newspapers to the small local vernacular papers.
Pakistan's media sector is highly influenced by the ownership structure. There are three dominating
media moguls, or large media groups, which to some extent also have political affiliations. Due to their
dominance in both print and broadcast industries all three media groups are very influential in politics and
society.
[2]

History[edit]
The media in Pakistan dates back to pre-partition years of British India, where a number of newspapers
were established to promote a communalistic or partition agenda. The newspaper Dawn, founded
by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and first published in 1941, was dedicated to promoting for an independent
Pakistan. The conservative newspaper, Nawa-i-Waqt, established in 1940 was the mouthpiece of the
Muslim elites who were among the strongest supporters for an independent Pakistan.
In a sense, Pakistani print media came into existence with a mission to promulgate the idea of Pakistan,
which was seen as the best national option for the Muslim minority in British India and as a form of self-
defence against suppression from the Hindu majority.
[2]

Role in exposing corruption[edit]
Since the introduction of these vibrant TV channels, many major corruption cases and scams have been
unveiled by journalists. Notable among them are:
The Pakistan Steel Mills Rs.26 billion scam;
[3]

National Insurance Company Limited scandal;
[4]

Bribery and corruption in Pakistan International Airlines which caused losses of $500 million;
[5]

Embezzlement in Pakistan Railways causing massive financial losses;
[6]

Hajj corruption case;
[7]

NATO containers' case where 40 containers heading for ISAF in Afghanistan went missing;
[8]

Rental power projects corruption
[9]

Ephedrine quota case, a scandal involving the son of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani to
pressure officials of the Health Ministry to allocate a quota of controlled chemical ephedrine to two
different pharmaceutical companies.
[10]

Malik Riazs 'Media Gate' in which the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is said to
have taken money from Malik Riaz to give favourable decisions from the Supreme Court.
Malik Riazs case proved that the media can hold the judiciary and even itself accountable, says Javed
Chaudhry, columnist and anchorperson working with Express News. This case, along with the missing
persons' case has established impartiality and credibility of the media in its fight against corruption.
Chaudhry feels, like many others in country, that the media in Pakistan has become free and fair during
the last decade. The Pakistani media has covered the journey of 100 years in just 10 years, but their
curiosity and thrust for revelation does not end and that is what drives the media.
[11]

Challenges[edit]
According to a report by the UK Foreign Office, Pakistans media environment continued to develop and,
in many cases, flourish. Since opening up in 2002, the number and range of media outlets has
proliferated, so that Pakistanis now have greater access than ever before to a range of broadcasting
through print, television and online media. The increased media penetration into most aspects of
Pakistani life has created challenges as well as opportunities, as both the journalistic community and
politicians and officials build their understanding of effective freedom of expression and responsible
reporting.
[12]

However, in 2011, Reporters Without Borders listed Pakistan as one of the ten most deadly places to be
a journalist. As the War in North-West Pakistan continues, there have been frequent threats against
journalists. The proliferation of the media in Pakistan since 2002 has brought a massive increase in the
number of domestic and foreign journalists operating in Pakistan. The UK Foreign Office states that it is
vital that the right to freedom of expression continues to be upheld by the Pakistani Government. This
was highlighted by an event supporting freedom of expression run by the European Union in Pakistan,
which the United Kingdom supported.
[13]
Journalists secret fund List
International co-operation[edit]
Pakistan - US Journalists Exchange Program[edit]
Since 2011, the East-West Center (EWC), headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, have been organising the
annual Pakistan - United States Journalists Exchange program. It was launched and designed to
increase and deepen public understanding of the two countries and their important relationship, one that
is crucial to regional stability and the global war on terrorism. While there have been many areas of
agreement and cooperation, deep mistrust remains between the two, who rarely get opportunities to
engage with each other and thus rely on media for their information and viewpoints. Unresolved issues
continue to pose challenges for both countries.
This exchange offers U.S. and Pakistani journalists an opportunity to gain on-the-ground insights and
firsthand information about the countries they visit through meetings with policymakers, government and
military officials, business and civil society leaders, and a diverse group of other community members. All
participants meet at the East-West Center in Hawaii before and after their study tours for dialogues
focused on sensitive issues between the two countries; preconceived attitudes among the public and
media in both the United States and Pakistan; new perspectives gained through their study tours; and
how media coverage between the two countries can be improved. Ten Pakistani journalists will travel to
the United States and ten U.S. journalists will travel to Pakistan. This East-West Center program is
funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy Islamabad Public Affairs Section.
The program provides journalists with valuable new perspectives and insights on this critically important
relationship, a wealth of contacts and resources for future reporting, and friendships with professional
colleagues in the other country upon whom to draw throughout their careers.
[14]

International Center for Journalists[edit]
In 2011, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), a non-profit, professional organisation located
in Washington, D.C. launched the U.S. - Pakistan Professional Partnership in Journalismprogram,
which is a three-year, multi-phase program which will bring 128 Pakistani media professionals to the
United States and send 30 U.S. journalists to Pakistan. Journalists will study each other's cultures as they
are immersed in newsrooms in each country.
English-speaking Pakistanis will receive four-week internships at U.S. media organizations, and non-
English speakers will spend half that time.
The program will be knit throughout with events and opportunities to experience U.S. life, showcasing its
diversity. Similarly, the U.S. participants, who will represent the Pakistanis U.S. media hosts during the
internships, will go to Pakistan for two-week programs during which they will learn the realities of
Pakistani journalism and national life through site visits, interviews and opportunities to interact with
journalists, officials and ordinary Pakistanis.
Participants on both sides will have opportunities to report on their experiences in each country, which will
help to educate their audiences and dispel myths and misperceptions that people carry in each country
about residents of the other. ICFJ will carry out the Pakistan-based activities with the assistance of a local
Pakistani journalism organization, and the University of MarylandsPhilip Merrill College of Journalism will
assist the U.S. activities.
[15]

Regulation[edit]
History[edit]
The first step in introducing media laws in the country was done by the then military ruler and
President Ayub Khan who promulgated the Press and Publication Ordinance (PPO) in 1962. The law
empowered the authorities to confiscate newspapers, close down news providers, and arrest journalists.
Using these laws, Ayub Khan nationalised large parts of the press and took over one of the two largest
news agencies. The other agencies was pushed into severe crisis and had to seek financial support from
the government. Pakistani Radio and Television, which was established in 1964 was also brought under
the strict control of the government.
More draconian additions were made to the PPO during the reign of General Zia-Ul-Haq in the 1980s.
According to these new amendments, the publisher would be liable and prosecuted if a story was not to
the liking of the administration even if it was factual and of national interest. These amendments were
used to promote Haq's Islamist leanings and demonstrated the alliance between the military and religions
leaders. Censorship during the Zia years was direct, concrete and dictatorial. Newspapers were
scrutinised; critical or undesired sections of an article censored. In the wake of Zia-ul-Haq's sudden death
and the return of democracy, the way was paved to abate the draconian media laws through a revision of
media legislation called the Revised PPO (RPPO).
From 2002, under General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani media faced a decisive development that
would lead to a boom in Pakistani electronic media and paved the way to it gaining political clout. New
liberal media laws broke the state's monopoly on the electronic media. TV broadcasting and FM radio
licenses were issued to private media outlets.
The military's motivation for liberalising media licensing was based on an assumption that the Pakistani
media could be used to strengthen national security and counter any perceived threats from India. What
prompted this shift was the military's experience during the two past confrontations with India. One was
the Kargil War and the other was the hijacking of the India Airliner by militants. In both these instances,
the Pakistani military was left with no options to reciprocate because its electronic media were inferior to
that of the Indian media. Better electronic media capacity was needed in the future and thus the market
for electronic media was liberalised.
The justification was just as much a desire to counter the Indian media power, as it was a wish to set the
media "free" with the rights that electronic media had in liberal, open societies. The military thought it
could still control the media and harness it if it strayed from what the regime believed was in the national
interest - and in accordance with its own political agenda.
This assessment however proved to be wrong as the media and in particular the new many new TV
channels became a powerful force in civil society. The media became an important actor in the process
that led to fall of Musharraf and his regime. By providing extensive coverage of the 2007 Lawyer's
Movement's struggle to get the chief justice reinstated, the media played a significant role in mobilising
civil society. This protest movement, with millions of Pakistanis taking to the streets in the name of having
an independent judiciary and democratic rule, left Musharraf with little backing from civil society and the
army. Ultimately, he had to call for elections. Recently, due to a renewed interplay between civil society
organisations, the Lawyers' Movement and the electronic media, Pakistan's new President, Asif Ali
Zardari had to give in to public and political pressure and reinstate the chief justice. The emergence of
powerful civil society actors was unprecedented inPakistani history. These could not have gained in
strength without the media, which will need to continue and play a pivotal role if Pakistan has to develop a
stronger democracy, greater stability and take on socio-political reforms.
Whether Pakistan's media, with its powerful TV channels, is able to take on such a huge responsibility
and make changes from within depends on improving general working conditions; on the military and the
state bureaucracy; the security situation of journalists; media laws revision; better journalism training; and
lastly on the will of the media and the media owners themselves.
[2]

Legal framework[edit]
Though Pakistani media enjoy relative freedom compared to some of its South Asian neighbours, the
industry was subjected to many undemocratic and regressive laws and regulations. The country was
subjected to alternating military and democratic rule - but has managed to thrive on basic democratic
norms. Though the Pakistani media had to work under mimlitary dictatorships and repressive regimes,
which instituted many restrictive laws and regulations for media in order to 'control' it, the media was not
largely affected. The laws are, however, detrimental to democracy reform, and represent a potential
threat to the future of Pakistan and democracy.
[2]

Constitution[edit]
The Pakistani Constitution upholds the fundamentals for a vibrant democracy and guarantees freedom of
expression and the basic premise for media freedom. While emphasising the state's allegiance to Islam,
the constitution underlines the key civil rights inherent in a democracy and states that citizens:

Shall be guaranteed fundamental rights, including equality of status, of opportunity and
before law, social, economic and political justice, and freedom of thought, expression, belief,
faith, worship and association, subject to law and public morality.

However, the constitution and democratic governance in Pakistan was repeatedly set out of play by
military coups and the country was under military dictatorship for more than half its existence. Thus basic
- if not all - democratic norms were severely affected, but the country managed to survive through these
dark periods and reinstate its sidelined socio-political values. The media played a crucial role in this
process.

Even in the darkest days of the worst kind of military rule, it has been the Pakistani media
that had kept the hope for the country and its future alive. No other institution in the country,
neither the political parties nor the civil society, not even the judiciary could make such a
claim. When every other door had been shuttered, it had been the media and media alone
that had crashed open alternatives for the willing to come out and take on the worst dictator.

M Ziauddin, media law activist associated with Internews.
Media laws[edit]
There are a number of legislative and regulatory mechanisms that directly and indirectly affect the media.
Besides the Press and Publication Ordinance (PPO) mentioned, these laws include the Printing Presses
and Publications Ordinance 1988, the Freedom of Information Ordinance of 2002, the Pakistan Electronic
Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) of 2002, the Defamation Ordinance of 2002, the Contempt of Court
Ordinance of 2003, the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Ordinance 2003, the
Press Council Ordinance 2002, the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan Ordinance 2005 and
lastly the Access to Information Ordinance of 2006. Also there were attempts in 2006 for further
legislation ostensibly "to streamline registration of newspapers, periodicals, news and advertising
agencies and authentication of circulation figures of newspapers and periodicals (PAPRA)."
The liberalisation of the electronic media in 2002 was coupled to a bulk of regulations. The opening of the
media market led to the mushrooming of satellite channels in Pakistan. Many operators started satellite
and/or cable TV outlets without any supervision by the authorities. The government felt that it was losing
millions of rupees by not 'regulating' the mushrooming cable TV business.
Another consequence of the 2002 regulations was that most of these were hurriedly enacted by
President Musharraf before the new government took office. Most of the new laws that were anti-
democratic and were not intended to promote public activism but to increase his control of the public.
Many media activists felt that the new regulations were opaque and had been subject to interpretation by
the courts which would have provided media practitioners with clearer guidelines.
[2]

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority[edit]
Main article: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA, formerly RAMBO - Regulatory Authority for
Media and Broadcast Organizations) was formed in 2002 to "facilitate and promote a free, fair and
independent electronic media", including opening the broadcasting market in Pakistan.
[16]
By the end of
2009 PEMRA had:
[17]

issued 78 satellite TV licenses;
issued "landing rights" to 28 TV channels operating from abroad, with more under consideration;
issued licenses for 129 FM radio stations, including 18 non-commercial licenses to leading
universities offering courses mass communication and six licenses in Azad Jammu and Kashmir;
registered 2,346 cable TV systems serving an estimated 8 million households; and
issued six MMDS (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service), two Internet protocol TV (IPTV), and
two mobile TV licenses, with more under consideration.
PEMRA is also involved in media censorship and occasionally halts broadcasts and closes media outlets.
Publication or broadcast of anything which defames or brings into ridicule the head of state, or members
of the armed forces, or executive, legislative or judicial organs of the state, as well as any broadcasts
deemed to be false or baseless can bring jail terms of up to three years, fines of up to 10 million rupees
(US$165,000), and license cancellation. In practice, these rules and regulations are not enforced.
[18]

On November 2011, Pakistani cable television operators blocked the BBC World News TV channel after it
broadcast a documentary, entitled Secret Pakistan.
[19]
However, Pakistanis with a dish receiver can still
watch it and can continue to access its website and web stream. Dr. Moeed Pirzada of PTV stated that it
was hypocritical of the foreign media to label it as 'suppression of the media' when the United States
continues to ban Al Jazeera English and no cable operator in the US would carry the channel. He also
stated that even 'democratic' and 'liberal' Indians refuse to carry a single Pakistani news channel on their
cable or any Pakistani op-ed writers in their newspapers.
[20]

Television[edit]
Main article: Television in Pakistan
Further information: List of Urdu language television channels
The first television station began broadcasting from Lahore in 26 November 1964. Television in Pakistan
remained the government's exclusive control until 1990 when Shalimar Television Network (STN) and
Network Television Marketing (NTM) launched Pakistans first private TV channel. Foreign satellite TV
channels were added during the 1990s.
[17]

Traditionally, the government-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) has been the dominant
media player in Pakistan. The PTV channels are controlled by the government and opposition views are
not given much time. The past decade has seen the emergence of several private TV channels showing
news and entertainment, such as GEO TV, AAJ TV, ARY Digital, HUM, MTV Pakistan, and others.
Traditionally the bulk of TV shows have been plays or soap operas, some of them critically acclaimed.
Various American, European, Asian TV channels, and movies are available to a majority of the population
via Cable TV.
[citation needed]
Television accounted for almost half of the advertising expenditure in Pakistan in
2002.
[21][dead link]

Radio[edit]
Main article: Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation
See also: List of Pakistani radio channels
The government-owned Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) was formed on 14 August 1947, the
day of Pakistani independence. It was a direct descendant of the Indian Broadcasting Company, which
later became All India Radio. At independence, Pakistan had radio stations in Dhaka, Lahore,
and Peshawar. A major programme of expansion saw new stations open at Karachiand Rawalpindi in
1948, and a new broadcasting house at Karachi in 1950. This was followed by new radio stations
at Hyderabad (1951), Quetta (1956), a second station at Rawalpindi (1960), and a receiving centre at
Peshawar (1960). During the 1980s and 1990s the corporation expanded its network to many cities and
towns of Pakistan to provide greater service to the local people. In October 1998, Radio Pakistan started
its first FM transmission.
[17]

Today, there are over a hundred public and private radio stations due to more liberal media regulations.
FM broadcast licenses are awarded to parties that commit to open FM broadcasting stations in at least
one rural city along with the major city of their choice.
The press is much more restricted in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where independent
radio is allowed only with permission from the government.
[18]

Cinema[edit]
Main article: Cinema of Pakistan
See also: List of Pakistani films, Lollywood, Pollywood, Kariwood, Kara Film Festival, and Cinepax

In the golden days of Pakistani cinema, the film industry churned out more than 200 films
annually, today its one-fifth of what it used to be. The Federal Bureau of Statistics shows
that once the country boasted at least 700 cinemas, this number has dwindled to less than
170 by 2005.
[22]


The indigenous movie industry, based in Lahore and known as "Lollywood", produces roughly forty
feature-length films a year.
[citation needed]

In 2008 the Pakistani government partially lifted its 42-year ban on screening Indian movies in
Pakistan.
[23]

Newspapers and magazines[edit]
Further information: List of newspapers in Pakistan and List of magazines in Pakistan
In 1947 only four major Muslim-owned newspapers existed in the area now called Pakistan: Pakistan
Times, Zamindar, Nawa-i-Waqt, and Civil and Military Gazette. A number of Muslim papers moved to
Pakistan, including Dawn, which began publishing daily in Karachi in 1947, the Morning News, and the
Urdu-language dailies Jang and Anjam. By the early 2000s, 1,500 newspapers and journals existed in
Pakistan.
[24]

In the early 21st century, as in the rest of the world, the number of print outlets in Pakistan declined
precipitously, but total circulation numbers increased.
[citation needed]
From 1994 to 1997, the total number of
daily, monthly, and other publications increased from 3,242 to 4,455, but had dropped to just 945 by 2003
with most of the decline occurring in the Punjab Province. However, from 1994 to 2003 total print
circulation increased substantially, particularly for dailies (3 million to 6.2 million). And after the low point
in 2003 the number of publications grew to 1279 in 2004, to 1997 in 2005, 1467 in 2006, 1820 in 2007,
and 1199 in 2008.
[25]

Newspapers and magazines are published in 11 languages; most in Urdu and Sindhi, but English-
language publications are numerous.
[citation needed]
Most print media are privately owned, but the
government controls the Associated Press of Pakistan, one of the major news agencies. From 1964 into
the early 1990s, the National Press Trust acted as the government's front to control the press. The state,
however, no longer publishes daily newspapers; the former Press Trust sold or liquidated its newspapers
and magazines in the early 1990s.
[24]

The press is generally free and has played an active role in national elections, but journalists often
exercise self-censorship as a result of arrests and intimidation by government and societal actors. The
press is much more restricted in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where no newspapers
are published, and in Azad Kashmir, where publications need special permission from the regional
government to operate and pro-independence publications are generally prohibited.
[18]

News Agencies[edit]
Press Council and Newspaper Regulation[edit]
Prior to 2002, News Agencies in Pakistan were completely unregulated. Established under the Press
Council of Pakistan Ordinance in October 2002, the body operates on a semi-autonomous nature along
with an Ethical Code of Practice signed by President Musharraf. It is mandated with multi-faceted tasks
that range from protection of press freedom to regulatory mechanisms and review of complaints from the
public.
However, the Press Council never came into operation due to the reservations of the media
organisations. In protest over its establishment, the professional journalists organisations refrained from
nominating their four members to the Council. Nevertheless, the chairman was appointed, offices now
exist and general administration work continues. This has led the government to review the entire Press
Council mechanism.
The Press Council Ordinance has a direct link to the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books
Registration Ordinance (PNNABRO) of 2002. This legislation deals with procedures for registration of
publications of criteria of media ownerships.
Among the documents required for the permit or 'Declaration' for publishing a newspaper is a guarantee
from the editor to abide by the Ethical Code of Practice contained in the Schedule to the Press Council of
Pakistan Ordinance. Though the Press Council procedure has made silenced or paralysed, these forms
of interlinking laws could provide the government with additional means for imposing restrictions and take
draconian actions against newspapers. The PNNABRO, among many other requirements demands that a
publisher provides his bank details. It also has strict controls and regulations for the registering
procedure. It not only demands logistical details, but also requires detailed information on editors and
content providers.
Ownership of publications (mainly newspapers and news agencies) is restricted to Pakistani nationals if
special government permission is not given. In partnerships, foreign involvement cannot exceed 25
percent. The law does not permit foreigners to obtain a 'Declaration' to run a news agency or any media
station.
[2]

Pakistan's major news agencies include: