Junaid Toru
Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2025, expanding the scope of media regulation and bringing advertising agencies, cable operators, and new media under a legal framework.
Provincial Minister for Law, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs, Advocate Aftab Alam, presented the bill in the House. The amendment introduces clear definitions of advertising agencies, cable television operators, campaign advertisements, and classified advertisements.
According to the bill, an advertising agency is defined as one registered with the Information Department, responsible for designing and releasing advertisements for print and electronic media. Lawmakers said this provision would bring accountability and transparency to the advertising sector.
The legislation further clarifies that only PEMRA-licensed cable operators will be authorized to run or manage cable TV services in the province, a move aimed at discouraging illegal or unregulated cable networks.
Similarly, campaign or promotional advertisements are defined as those projecting government reforms, development achievements, and public service messages.The bill also formally recognizes classified advertisements, covering public notices, tender calls, recruitment notices, and court-related announcements.
The bill was passed with consensus, with legislators terming it an important step towards modernizing media laws in line with the evolving digital and advertising landscape.
