On 27 October 2019, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued fresh directives to media houses asking them to ensure that TV news anchors refrain from giving "opinions" on air, and that only "experts" with the "requisite knowledge" talk on subject matters of their expertise. The notification added that news channels should avoid discussing, analysing or speculating on sub-judice matters, and that they would be "held responsible for any biased, unfair analysis or propaganda against judiciary and state institutions". In effect, a government entity was trying to dictate who spoke on what issues, and who qualified as an expert, an analyst or a journalist.
In response, several journalists demanded that PEMRA withdraw the notification, calling it a 'dictatorial' move to gag the press. PEMRA issued a counterstatement, claiming that the advisory did not intend to control who participates in talk shows. The advisory was merely reiterating the parameters of PEMRA's existing laws and codes of conduct, the government body stated.