Media bodies express concerns over proposed Digital Media Authority bill, Punjab Defamation Bill 2024

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of media bodies has expressed serious concerns over federal government’s proposed Digital Media Authority bill as well as Punjab Defamation Bill 2024, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The media bodies believed that there was need of strengthening the defamation laws as well as regulation of digital media but all this should not be done in haste rather after strengthening defamation laws, but the bill appears draconian in its current form and threatens the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

The JAC which comprised Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND),  emphasized the need for a detailed and purposeful consultation with all stakeholders to address the weaknesses of the proposed bill.

The JAC believed that any legislation in this regard must strike a delicate balance between protecting individual rights and upholding the principles of freedom of expression.

Therefore, the Joint Action Committee urged that the Punjab government and the Federal Government should hold extensive discussions with media organizations, and other stakeholders to thoroughly examine the implications of the proposed legislation on freedom of expression. The JAC expressed its commitment to engage constructively with the government to ensure that the defamation legislation and code for Digital media if enacted was fair, just, and in line with democratic principles.