Ambreen Jan appointed new PEMRA chairperson

2026-02-11 - 18:36

ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari has approved the appointment of Ambareen Jan as chairperson of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had forwarded a summary to the president seeking approval for the appointment of Information Secretary Ambareen Jan as PEMRA Chairperson. A parliamentary committee had recommended Ambareen Jan for the position. Following the recommendation, PM Shehbaz sent the summary to the President, who subsequently granted approval for her appointment. Ambreen brings decades of administrative and policy expertise. Her tenure as Secretary of Information placed her directly in the spotlight of government-media relations, making her a prominent figure in shaping Pakistan’s media narrative. Her appointment in PEMRA is expected to bring more updates in media watchdog as PEMRA continues to wield enormous influence over electronic and broadcast media across the country. Analysts say her leadership could have far-reaching implications for media regulation, content oversight, and broadcast policies nationwide. Ambreen Jan was chosen from a shortlist of five distinguished candidates, which included Brigadier (retd) Anwar Ahmed, Mateen Haider, Irfan Ashraf, and Dr. Hamid Khan. The final selection was made during a high-level parliamentary committee meeting chaired by Shehbaz Babar, tasked with appointing the next head of the influential authority. Ambreen Jan Ambreen Jan’s career spanning over three decades. She started her civil service journey in 1990 and rose to key leadership roles, including Federal Secretary of Information and Broadcasting, Director General of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Deputy Director General at the Press Information Department, and Press Counsellor at Pakistan’s High Commission in Dhaka. She played key role in shaping Pakistan’s media policies and managing the country’s narrative during periods of global attention and political challenges. She was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in recognition of her outstanding contributions to media and diplomacy. An alumna of Kinnaird College and Government College Lahore, Jan also pursued national security studies at the National Defence University and studied French at L’Alliance Française, reflecting her commitment to global communication and strategic affairs.