Press council ordinance 2002

General Pervaiz Musharaf in October 2002 promulgated the press council ordinance which provides for a press council for Pakistan professedly aimed at
· Improving professional standards of all journalists.
· To insure press freedom in the country.
· The council allows for a mechanism to register complaints by the public in violation of an ethical code of practice.
The law states that the code which deals with such weighty issues as morality, plagiarism, fairness etc will let journalists perform their duty with responsibility. The council will be an independent entity.
Functions:
1. Preserve press freedoms by maintaining high professional and ethical standards of newspaper and news agencies.
2. Helping newspaper and news agencies to maintain independence.
3. Revise, update, enforce and implement the code for newspapers, news agencies, editors, journalists and publisher.
4. Receive complaints about violation of codes by newspaper, editors, and journalist.
5. Appoint inquiry commission to decide complaint.
6. Receive complaints by newspaper or journalists against government officials or organizations including political parties for hindering functions of press.
Composition:
The council comprises of 19 members.
Conclusion:
In Pakistan a voluntary code of ethics was adopted in 1972 by general assembly of the committee of the press and hence there was no reason a new code was required.