Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf withdrew Saturday a controversial ordinance that imposed rigorous curbs on broadcasters after harsh criticism at home as well as abroad, according to DPA. The presidential decree, known as Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)Amendment Ordinance, was condemned as crude censorship amid the growing political uproar over the president's suspension in March of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry for alleged misconduct. "President has directed the government to revert the PEMRA ordinance and the government will immediately act upon the directive," Information Minister Mohammed Ali Durrani told news channel Geo TV. The decision was taken at a meeting between Musharraf and the representatives of country's news channels, he said. Durrani added that the president urged the broadcasters to formulate a code of conduct to ensure that the national interests are not compromised in their transmissions. Thousands of lawyers, rights activists and opposition supporters joined journalists in countrywide protests on Thursday against the law that empowered state regulators to seize equipment, seal premises and suspend licenses of broadcasters for violating existing media laws. Several foreign governments, including United States and European Union conveyed their concern this week over new media law to Pakistani authorities.
