ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb expressed her pleasure on Saturday after the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting passed the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which she had tabled in parliament the day before.
According to state-owned Radio Pakistan, the bill provides definitions for “fake news,” “disinformation,” and “misinformation,” while also increasing the financial penalty for deliberately spreading false news from Rs1 million to Rs10 million.
It also uses the term “certified news” instead of “news” in the preamble and seeks to broaden the scope of public entertainment, education, and information.
The information minister informed in a Twitter post the PEMRA — Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority — bill had been in the making for about a year and was finalized after “extensive consultations with all stakeholders.”
“The primary objective of the Bill is to improve the welfare of journalists, and enable a free, responsible and ethical media environment in Pakistan, as practiced in democratic countries around the world,” she continued.
As per the bill, a three-member committee would be granted the authority to shut down a channel instead of the PEMRA chairman. The minister noted that the amendment had addressed a long-standing issue, such as arbitrary and unchecked concentrated powers vested in a single individual.
The bill also mentions the Council of Complaints that would address the problems of delayed payments of journalists’ salaries by their organizations.
The minister promised to hold a news conference to share salient features of the bill with the public.
However, media outlets critical of the ruling coalition objected to the development. ARY News described it to be an attempt to impose restrictions on news channels and their coverage of important events.
The channel’s president, Ammad Yousaf, said no government or bureaucrat could determine the news agenda of any channel.
“The said Bill presented by info minister Maryam Aurangzeb in national assembly is REJECTED,” he added.
