Islamabad: (PPF) On January 27, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting called for strengthening the Press Council of Pakistan (PCP) through enhanced human resources, financial support and technological capacity, while urging the body to play a more assertive role in safeguarding freedom of expression and addressing disinformation and misinformation.

The committee met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly Pullain Baloch. Chairman of the PCP, Arshad Khan Jadoon, briefed the members on the council’s functioning, stating that it comprised representatives of the media fraternity, parliamentarians, government officials and civil society. He said the council was fully operational and engaged in monitoring print media, resolving complaints and raising public awareness.

Jadoon informed the committee that the PCP faced constraints, including the absence of a dedicated office premises, limited funding, insufficient staffing and inadequate technological infrastructure. He requested the committee’s support to help the organisation meet its regulatory responsibilities effectively.

Responding to questions, Jadoon said notices had been issued to several major newspapers over ethical misconduct. He also confirmed that notices had been sent to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following comments made about certain media personnel. Committee member Mehtab Akbar Rashdi remarked that, given the current political environment, it was difficult to believe that the media was operating without pressure.

The committee appreciated the PCP’s performance but advised the council to reinforce its efforts concerning freedom of expression and the handling of disinformation. Members further recommended that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting develop service rules for PCP employees and design a mechanism to address complaints related to non-payment of salaries to print media workers.

The committee instructed the Ministry to expedite the convening of a meeting of the committee formed under the Advisor to the Prime Minister, tasked with reviewing outstanding liabilities of all organisations under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

On compliance with previous recommendations, the committee directed the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) to keep it informed about developments on its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project in Karachi. Officials reported that a technical committee established on the committee’s instructions was actively reviewing the matter and was scheduled to hold its third meeting early next month. PBC Director General Saeed Ahmad Shaikh assured members that engineers, with support from other technological bodies, aimed to complete the project using indigenous resources.