The most important law is the Pakistan Press and Publications ordinance of 1963 as amended in 1964 of which the salient features are given. Declaration: Declaration for a newspaper shall be authenticated by the District magistrate when after hiving heard the applicant in person and having examined evidence produced by him, he is satisfied that the printer or publisher has enough financial resources to run the newspaper and that the editor is reasonably educated or trained in journalism.
The district Magistrate shall refuse to authenticate a declaration when having heard the applicant in person, government is satisfied that the printer or publisher is likely to act in a manner prejudicial to the defence, or external affairs, or security of Pakistan or public order or public safety in the province or js likely to use the paper for incitement to violence or for defamation. However the applicant may make a representation to the government against the orders of the District Magistrate and Government after giving him a hearing may modify, confirm or rescind the order.
Foreign Ownership: No foreigner shall be allowed to own or hold any interest in a newspaper except with the prior permission of the government and even than he could not in any case hold more than twenty five per cfent of the entire properitOry interest.
Parliamentary’ proceedings: No newspaper shall publish any account of* National or Provincial Assembly that contains any matter not forming part of proceedings, “expunged ” portions, or that does not give a reasonably fair or correct version of such proceedings. The Speaker may order non- publication of any portions of the proceedings but this will cover only that matter which is prejudicial to the maintenance of public order or is opposed to morality or amounts to contempt of court”, defamation or incitement to the commission of an offence.