ISLAMABAD, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government has formed a new authority, the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority, to regulate the country's print and electronic media, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said.

The minister told a press briefing on Wednesday that the new government has decided to merge the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and Press Council of Pakistan into the new body.

The new authority will monitor print, electronic and cyber media simultaneously in an effort to save national resources, said the minister. "A single regulatory authority should overlook all mediums, and the same laws and censors should apply on all of them," he added.

Senior journalists from print and electronic media will be hired for top positions of the newly formed body besides professionals, the minister added.?