ISLAMABAD: Ambreen Jan's appointment as head of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) remains pending for over a month. The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to approve her nomination despite her selection by a parliamentary panel. If confirmed, Ms Jan will be Pemra’s first female chairperson. Her appointment is reportedly delayed due to "objections regarding security clearance," according to a reliable source. Ambreen Jan, a former Grade-22 officer, has an impressive background. She served as federal information secretary, director general of Radio Pakistan, managing director of PTV, and press counsellor in Bangladesh during tense Islamabad-Dhaka relations. She was one of five shortlisted candidates for the Pemra chair, including retired Brigadier Anwar Ahmed and journalist Mateen Haider. The final list narrowed to three candidates, excluding Irfan Ashraf and Dr. Hamid Khan. An amendment to the Pemra Act requires a parliamentary committee of four members—two each from the National Assembly and Senate, balanced between the Treasury and Opposition—to recommend a candidate for the chairperson role. This committee recommended Ambreen Jan's name more than a month ago. However, the file awaits transmission from the Prime Minister’s Office to the President for final appointment. The previous chairman, Saleem Baig, an information group officer, retired in September 2025 after a long tenure starting in 2018. Pemra was created in 2002 to regulate private electronic media in Pakistan. It controls key sectors such as Direct to Home (DTH) broadcasting, satellite TV, FM radio, and cable TV, aiming to raise standards in information, education, and entertainment.