Press Ordinances in Pakistan

 Press & Publications Ordinance 1961
 Registration of Printing Press &
Publications Ordinance 1989
 Press, Newspaper, News Agencies and
Book Registration Ordinance 2002
Muhammad Rawaha Saleem
Department of Media & Communication Studies
Faculty of Social Sciences
International Islamic University Islamabad

 In 1961, Press and Publications Ordinance
was formed and enforced in Ayub Era.
 Its amended version was imposed in 1963
by the Provincial Governments.
 It abolished by the court in 1984.

 The purpose of this law was to establish a
Press Advice System.
 It required permission from the government
for publications.
 Permission was issued by a District
Magistrate.

 Progressive Paper Limited (PPL) was hijacked
under PPO based on charges that it is working
against National Security.
 In 1961, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP)
was captured on the basis of its Financial
Instability.
 In 1964, National Press Trust (NPT) was
established under this act for nationalization
and regulation of press.
 Approximately 74-102 dailies and 260-379
weeklies were banned or seized as a result of
this act.

 Declaration of the newspaper shall be
authenticated by District Magistrate.
 Publisher must have sufficient finances to
run the paper and editor must be known
journalist and an educated person.
 The publisher likely to work in a manner not
against the Defence, External Affairs,
National Security, Public Order and not likely
to use the paper for incitement to violence or
for defamation.

 Foreign nationals would not be allowed to
hold more than 25% of the entire proprietary
interests of any newspaper in Pakistan
except with the prior approval of the Central
Government.
 Not to publish Expunged Portions of any
court proceedings or not to give dual sense
of any statement made in parliament by any
honourable member.

 Not to publish any court proceedings until or
unless permitted by the Judge.
 It is the authority of the executive to demand
or forfeiture of securities on the violation of
certain rules of PPO.
 Security deposits ranging from Rs500 to
Rs10,000 could be demanded from printing
presses.

 If fresh security deposit is demanded and
paper fails to submit within 10 working days
then it leads to annulment of the declaration.
 Proper maintenance of accounts, finance
must be taken.
 A publisher proceeding abroad for more than
three months will nominee a person who will
take over his responsibilities.

 According to PPO, All newspapers were
ordered to publish DPR’s and PID’s handouts
as it is.
 Penalties to be imposed by the law courts on
non-publication of the print line, keeping press
without declaration and depositing security,
making false statements in declaration, printing,
publishing and editing anything beyond the
provisions of PPO.

 Any writing which opposed recruitment to the
armed forces or the police forces or which
might undermine their discipline and
administration would also render the
publication liable to action under this section.
 Protection under the same section had also
been given to the heads of princely states
which had acceded to Pakistan.

 In 1989, Ghulam Ishaq Khan imposed the
Registration of Printing Presses and
Publications Ordinance.
 Later in 1997, It was reissued.

 It aimed to dictate the working mechanism of
printing presses and publications.
 Even if what you have written was true and
even if it was in National Interest you were
liable to be arrested and prosecuted, If the
government deemed it unfavourable.

 Establishment of Pre-Censorship Policy.
 Musawat was closed due to its support for
Pakistan People’s Party.
 Quota System for Advertisement.
 Depriving Media Outlets from Coverage.
 Terminating the media’s role as a Watchdog
of the Society.

 No minor to be printer, publisher or editor,
below age 21.
 If the printing and publication do not come
within 3 months of the declaration, the
declaration will be considered void.
 Change of place or language of publication
to be made after permission from District
Magistrate.

 Forfeiture of the copies and books, If the
printer publishes such material which
develops violence, spread false rumours,
condemns the creation of Pakistan,
promotes hatred and contempt Government
of Pakistan, creates enmity amongst the
provinces, tries to damage the relations with
other states, tries to force not to perform
their duties.

 Maintenance of accounts, issuance of
search warrants & appeals.
 Penalties for contravention of provisions,
keeping printing press without declaration,
printing and publishing newspaper without
declaration (Rs. 20,000 or 6 months
imprisonment or both)
 Penalty for violating all rules and provisions
will be 30,000 or 1 year imprisonment or
both.

 Every book or paper printed within Pakistan
shall have printed legibly on it the name of
the printer and the place of publication along
with date.
 No person shall keep in his possession any
press for printing of books or papers, unless
he has made and subscribed before the
District Co-ordination Officer.

 The District Co-ordination Officer shall, by an
order in writing, refuse to authenticate a
declaration, If
a. The title of the printing press proposed to be
kept or operated is the same as the title of any
printing press already being operated at any
place in the Province
b. The printer was convicted of an office involving
moral turpitude within five years before the
date of his making and subscribing the
declaration.

 If the place where a printing press is kept is
changed, the keeper of the press shall inform
the District Co-ordination Officer in writing of the
change along with the new location, within
fourteen days of such change. Provide that, if
the place where the press is shifted is in
another district, the keeper of the press shall
inform the District Co-ordination Officer of both
the districts from which, and to which, the press
is shifted.

 No newspaper shall be published except in
conformity with the provisions of this Ordinance
and without prejudice to the provisions of
section 3; every copy of every such newspaper
shall contain the name of the owner and editor
thereof printed clearly on such copy and also
the date of its publication. Similarly, no news
agency shall disseminate or defuse news
except in conformity with the provisions of this
Ordinance unless there subsists a declaration
authenticated by the District Co-ordination
officer.

 The Printer and publisher of every newspaper
or an owner of news agency shall appear in
person or by agent authorized in this behalf
before the District Co-ordination Officer within
whose local jurisdiction such newspaper shall
be printed or published.
 Every declaration shall specify the title of the
newspaper, the language in which it is to be
published, the periodicity of its publication and
shall contain such other particulars as may be
prescribed to include bank where account will
be operated and financial funding.

 Where the printer or publisher of a newspaper
making a declaration is not the owner thereof,
the declaration shall specify the name of the
owner and shall also be accompanied by an
authority in writing from the owner authorizing
such person to make and subscribe such
declaration.
 The declaration of news agency shall contain
language of dissemination of news and credit
lines to include bank where account will be
operated.

 Submission of declaration and its authentication
under this Ordinance shall be necessary before
the publication of newspaper or dissemination
of news by any news agency.
 The declaration submitted by the publisher shall
be accompanied by an undertaking by the
editor to abide by the Ethical Code of Practice
contained in the Schedule to the Press Council
of Pakistan Ordinance.

 If, at any time, after the making of a declaration
under section 6, the newspaper to which the
declaration relates is proposed to be printed or
published in a language or languages, with a
periodicity, or at a place, other than the
language, periodicity or place shown in the
declaration, the printer or publisher shall notify
such change to the District Co-ordination Officer
within whose jurisdiction the newspaper is
printed and published.

 No person who has not attained the age of
eighteen years shall be permitted to make a
declaration under section 6 nor shall any such
person edit a newspaper.
 The printer or the publisher, before leaving
Pakistan, informs in writing, to the District
Coordination Officer.

 No person who is not a citizen of Pakistan shall
own or hold any interest in any newspaper
printed or publish in a province except with the
previous approval of the Government, and no
such person shall in any case own or hold more
than twenty-five per cent of the entire
proprietary interest of any such newspaper,
whether in the form of shares or by way of sole
ownership, partnership or otherwise.

 Copies of books printed to be delivered
gratis to Government.
 Whoever prints or publishes any book or
paper or disseminates news in contravention
of the provisions of section 3 shall be
punishable with fine not exceeding, twenty
thousand rupees or with simple
imprisonment for a term not exceeding six
months or with both.

 Penalty for keeping printing press without
making a declaration.
 Punishment for making false statement in
declaration.
 Penalty for printing or publishing newspaper
in contravention of the provisions of this
Ordinance.
 Penalty for disseminating unauthorized new-
sheets and newspapers.

Press Ordinances in Pakistan

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