Despite strong reservations expressed by journalists and media owners, the federal cabinet is set to take up the bill caling for the establishment of the Pakistan Media Development Authority according to a story in Dawn on Tuesday.

The newspaper was citing government sources as saying this.

Despite strongly worded reservations about the bill in statements issued by media bodies coming together under one platform, the information ministry has said it plans to move ahead with the establishment of this body.

Human Rights Watch also expressed serious reservations about the PMDA on Monday saying the government was "seeking broad new powers to control the media as part of its crackdown on freedom of expression."

The government, for its part, says the PMDA will bring all media -- print, film, TV, digital, radio, digital -- under one body and one regulator.

Journalists have especially expressed concern about the government;s secrecy around the drafting process, with no "meaningful" consultations, and that the final version hasn't been seen. This only raises fears about the PMDA being used to stfile discussions and freedom of expression.

Journalists and media owners have demanded regulators be independent and not centralized for government to have more powers to censor.

On August 20, a joint statement against the PMDA was issued by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Asma Jahangir's AGHS, Digital Media Alliance of Pakistan (DigiMAP), Freedom Network (FN), Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) and Media Matter for Democracy (MMFD).

State minister for information Farrukh Habib in a meeting on August 12 with some journalists and YouTube bloggers claims the government had consulted with stakeholders and slammed those who oppose the PMDA.

On Monday, the Digital Media Wing of the Information Ministry issued a video showing minister Fawad Chaudhry discussing the PMDA with YouTube bloggers.

In this release he said, PMDA would fineTV channels Rs250 million for violations while internet-based entertainment channels would have to air at least 30% local content.