Pakistan Press Foundation
11 Mar 2025

On March 10, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointments of five members to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).

The appointed members are from each province and the federal capital.  According to  The News , the appointment was approved on the prime minister’s advice. The newly appointed members include Sabahat Rafique for Punjab, Haider Naqvi for Sindh, Iftikhar Firdous for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ayesha Ayub Wadood for Balochistan, and Dr. Rashid Wali Janjua for the Federal Capital Territory.

PEMRA’s structure consists of a chairman and twelve members, which includes these five new appointees from across the country. The regulatory body also includes five ex-officio members such as the secretaries of Information and Home departments, as well as the chairmen of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Revenue Board. Additionally, PEMRA includes one executive member, along with a representative each from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), who are already in place.

On March 5, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had appointed Dr. Lubna Zaheer as the Chairperson of the Punjab PEMRA Council of Complaints. Dr. Lubna, a professor at the School of Communication Studies at Punjab University, previously served on the Council from 2015 to 2019. Additionally, Rashida Suhail and Zahid Maqsood had also been appointed as initial members of the Council.

Photo: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, DEC 16: President, Asif Ali Zardari addressing the 3rd China-
Indian Ocean Region Forum on Blue Economy held in Kunming, through a video message in
Islamabad on Monday, December 16, 2024. (PPI Images).