Ambreen Jan becomes first woman as PEMRA chairperson

ISLAMABAD : President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday approved the appointment of Ambreen Jan as chairperson of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) becoming the first woman to head the electronic media regulator.A former Grade-22 officer, Ms Jan brings decades of administrative and policy experience to the position.

In addition to serving as secretary information, she has held several key posts, including director general of Radio Pakistan and managing director of PTV. She also served as press counsellor in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the period of strained bilateral relations from 2011 to 2018.A graduate of Kinnaird College in Lahore, she has been awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the government.

Ambreen Jan was among five shortlisted candidates considered for the post, along with retired Brigadier Anwar Ahmed, Mateen Haider, Irfan Ashraf and Dr Hamid Khan.The selection was made during a meeting of a parliamentary committee convened for the purpose.Following the committee’s unanimous approval, Ms Jan’s name has been forwarded by the Ministry of Information to the president for final approval through the Prime Minister’s Office.

Her appointment comes at a critical time for media regulation, with stakeholders watching for her approach to balancing media freedom with regulatory compliance.