President Asif Ali Zardari has appointed former Judge of Lahore High Court, Raja Muhammad Shafqat Khan Abbasi, as Chairman, Press Council of Pakistan. Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the appointment was made on the advice of the Prime Minister under Section 6 of Press Council of Pakistan Ordinance.
He said that the Press Council of Pakistan came into being through an Ordinance in 2002 as an autonomous and independent body to implement a code of conduct for the press as contained in the schedule of the Ordinance. The Council is located in Islamabad with sub-offices in each provincial capital and its expenses are met by grant-in-aid provided by the government. The Council consists of 19 members and its Chairman is appointed by the President, from amongst the retired judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan or a person qualified to be a judge of the Supreme Court, he said.
Farhatullah Babar said that as required the professional newspaper bodies including the APNS, CPNE and PFUJ each have nominated 4 members while one representative each has been nominated by the Pakistan Bar Council, Higher Education Commission, Vice Chairman of Bar Council the National Commission on the Status of Women in Pakistan, the Leader of the House in the National Assembly and the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. One Mass Media educationist will be nominated by the Press Council after the appointment of the Chairman, he said. The position of Chairman has been lying vacant after Justice Javaid Iqbal rejoined the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Summary for the appointment of Chairman was moved by the Ministry of Information which had proposed three names for the slot, he said. Raja Shafqat Abbasi, an advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan, has extensive experience in constitutional, civil, administrative and criminal law. He has been the youngest elected Member of Pakistan Bar Council, Member of Punjab Bar Council, Chairman Executive Committee Punjab Bar Council and has over 20 years of legal, parliamentary and public service experience. Author of many important legal cases published in various law journals of Pakistan he has specialised in dispute resolution, negotiation, legislative writing and arbitration.
The members of the Press Council are:
i) Shakil-ur-Rehman, Chief Executive, Jang Group of Publications
ii) Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami, Chief Editor, Daily Pakistan, Lahore.
iii) Syed Faseih Iqbal, Chief Executive, Zamana Group of Newspapers
iv) Jugnoo Mohsin, Chief Editor, Weekly The Friday Times.
i) Majid Nizami, Chief Editor, Nawa-e-Waqt Group of Publications
ii) Zia Shahid Chief Editor, Khabrain Group of Newspapers.
iii) Wamiq A. Zuberi, Editor, Daily Business Recorder.
iv) Siddiq Baloch, Chief Editor, Daily Balochistan Express, Quetta.
i) Ghulam Nabi Mughal, Frontier Post, Karachi
ii) Bachal Laghari, Nawa-e-Waqt, Karachi.
iii) Iqbal Jafri, Nawa-e-Waqt, Islamabad
iv) Nasir Zaidi, Daily The News, Islamabad.
--- Abu'l Inam, Vice Chairman, Pakistan Bar Council.
--- Aayesha Ikram, Deputy Director (Publications)
--- Nasreen Aslam Azhar
--- Yasmeen Rehman, MNA (PPP)
--- Saira Afzal Tarar, MNA (PML- N).