Islamabad: Pakistan government has said it was not considering any proposal to set up an authority to regulate the country's media.

"We are not considering any such proposal (of setting up the authority)," Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani told participants at a meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights here yesterday.

The committee took up the issue of the reported proposal for establishing an authority to control the press and also the access to information in the country.

According to reports, the proposed bill sought the establishment of Press and Publication Regulatory Authority (PAPRA) that would apparently streamline the country's media industry, but in practice would tighten the noose around the print and electronic media.

The committee was of the view that the government had not consulted stakeholders on any such proposal, raising fears that the proposed legislation would prove to be another control mechanism to influence the print media and ultimately impede freedom of the press.

"Had there been any such proposal, we would have taken media organisations like All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and others into confidence," local daily 'Dawn' quoted Durrani as saying.

Hameed Haroon of the APNS said the society had some reservations over the unofficial draft of the PAPRA bill. Fasih Iqbal of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors said there was no need for any further law to streamline media-related procedures in the country.