Saqib Bashir, President of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Journalists Association, Monday filed in the IHC a petition which demanded that the provisions of Newspaper Employees Act, 1973 should be applied to electronic media journalists until a separate law was passed for them.

The 24NewsHD TV channel reported that the federal government, information secretary, ITNE registrar, and PEMRA had been made respondents in the petition which was filed through Umar Ijaz Gilani Advocate.

It was adopted in the petition that the Newspaper Employees Act had been enacted for the print media journalists only and there were no rules for the journalists of electronic media.

The petition also stated that the act was enacted when there was no privately owned electronic media in Pakistan except newspapers. “The electronic media at that time was completely controlled by the state,” it added.

The petition demanded that the provisions of Newspaper Employees Act, 1973 should be applied to the electronic media journalists until a separate law was passed for them.

Reporter: Ehtisham Kiani