The Upper House of the Parliament on Wednesday unanimously approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill 2023.
This bill was introduced by Marriyum Aurangzeb, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, who highlighted that the bill was developed in consultation with journalist organizations.
Aurangzeb emphasized that the bill’s definition of misinformation and disinformation adheres closely to the guidelines set forth by the UN Human Rights Council and has been endorsed by 12 nations.
She said that the primary objective of the bill is to safeguard the rights of working journalists. Aurangzeb expressed regret that efforts were made to politicize the bill deliberately.
The minister went on to say that under this legislation, the government is empowered to withhold advertisements from media outlets that fail to clear the dues owed to media workers within a two-month period.
Reflecting on the bill’s origins, she underscored that coalition partners have historically championed the cause of freedom of expression.
On the other hand, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar conveyed that a delegation of journalists met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently, lauding the bill as a significant achievement for the journalist community. Following discussions with the journalists, the Prime Minister gave the directive to expedite the bill’s approval.
