Federal Minister for Information Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday briefed National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting about the upcoming Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) and said the proposed law was framed after thorough study of media laws of the UK, India, Australia, Singapore and European Union, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Fawad said that currently there were seven laws and bodies to regulate the media in the country. 

Making the case for a new authority to run media, Fawad said the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) has decided 29 cases at a cost of Rs500 million. “We took the help of Australia and the English laws to set up PMDA and now we want to bring all laws under one platform,” he said. 

“We also want to provide one window operation for media and consumers. Currently, serious difficulties are being faced to get NOC of any film and we also want to set up a one-window operation for the issuance of NOC of the film,” the minister added.

The minister clarified that no criminal section is being included in any law of the PMDA. 

Under the proposed PMDA, five directorates will be set up and a Media Complaints Commission (MCC) will be formed while initially Information Complaints Commission (ICC) will be set up in seven major cities across the country. 

There will be an independent commissioner for the appointments of the Complaints Commission. Fawad said the ICC will consist of four members from the government and four from the media industry side.

He said that EU Information Lab report clearly stated that fake news about Pakistan was spread through 875 fake websites. “The trend of civil war in Karachi started from Ahmedabad, India when action was being taken against the TLP in Karachi.”