Pakistan’s electronic media regulator has resolved a record 637 complaints related to broadcast content and wage/salary issues over the past two years.
These are the highest number of cases disposed of by any Council of Complaints since the establishment of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
The achievement was highlighted during the 121st meeting of the PEMRA Council of Complaints, Islamabad, held at the authority’s headquarters last Friday.
The session was the Council’s first meeting since its reconstitution by the federal government on July 20, 2026.
It was chaired by Syed Muhammad Ali, with members Fauzia Shahid, Gauhar Zahid Malik, Dr. Surayya Kanwal Afridi, and Kaiwan Hamid Raja in attendance, according to a press release issued on Saturday.
During the meeting, the Council Secretary presented a comprehensive briefing on the status of pending complaints and outlined the Council’s performance over the last two years.
According to the briefing, the Islamabad Council of Complaints disposed of 637 cases concerning media content and wage-related matters through 38 meetings held during the period, setting a new benchmark for complaint resolution since PEMRA’s inception.
The Council also reviewed progress on implementing its earlier recommendations and sought details regarding holders of landing rights permissions and the distribution of foreign television channels across Pakistan’s broadcast networks.
It recommended that PEMRA direct all distribution network operators to strictly comply with Section 19 and Section 19(2) of the PEMRA Ordinance (Amended), 2007, emphasizing that only foreign television channels holding valid licences should be carried by distributors.
The Council said the measure was necessary to safeguard the public interest, promote a fair media environment, and strengthen oversight of both domestic and foreign electronic media content aired in Pakistan.
In addition, the Council examined and decided nine agenda items related to broadcast content during the meeting.
