In a statement issued yesterday, the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) strongly condemned the use of government advertising as a tool to influence media. The statement encouraged the government to follow its election manifesto and not use government advertising nor its release of media outstanding payments as a political tool to influence editorial policy. This has been a tactic in the past but in 'Naya Pakistan' we expected new trends to be made and new benchmarks to be set.

PBA further urged the Prime Minister to advise the Ministry of Information to immediately lift the present ban on advertising on Dawn Media Group as it was contrary to the norms of democracy and against the freedom provided to the press in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019