PEMRA (Amend) Bill 2023 passed by NA body: Information minister

The National Assembly Standing Committee has passed the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

This was informed by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in her tweet posted last night. She extended her gratitude to all the stakeholders especially the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for their efforts, time and input in preparing the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023.

She wrote in her tweet: “I am pleased that the NA Standing Committee for Information & Broadcasting passed the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023 today, which I had laid in the National Assembly yesterday. The Bill was approved by the Committee after a comprehensive discussion between the Committee members and I. The Bill was prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders who are part of the Joint Action Committee (PFUJ, PBA, AMEND, CPNE, and APNS) over the course of the last one year. All stakeholders were taken on board, and their inputs and feedbacks were incorporated into the Bill.

“The Bill was finalised and laid after sign-off from and ownership by all stakeholders. I would like to thank the Joint Action Committee for their active participation, time, effort and valuable input in preparing this Bill.

“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 practice in democratic countries around the world.

“The Bill addresses various important long-standing issues and matters including arbitrary, unchecked concentrated powers of Chairman PEMRA, lack of representation of PFUJ and PBA in PEMRA Authority and the Council of Complaints, delayed payments of journalists’ salaries, and the definitions of misinformation and disinformation.

“I will be holding a press conference tomorrow to share the salient features of the Bill, and the details of the extensive participatory and consultative process carried out to prepare this Bill which culminated in the sign-off and ownership of the final Bill by all stakeholders.

https://twitter.com/Marriyum_A/status/1682470188912975874

Bill aimed to protect rights of media workers: Marriyum

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb says Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill 2023 has been prepared to protect the rights of media workers and lay the foundation of a responsible media.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Saturday, she said the bill laid in the National Assembly the other day was crafted after detailed consultations of eleven months with the relevant stakeholders and keeping in view the best international practices. She said it is not the government's bill but that of the media and the people of Pakistan.

She pointed out that at present one hundred and forty channels of variant nature including that of news and current affairs, entertainment,  health and agriculture, education and specialized subjects are operating in the country. She said this diversification in media necessitated the preparation of the bill.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said the bill differentiates between misinformation and disinformation. She said this has been done after studying the relevant laws of various countries including that of the European Union, UK, Malaysia, India and others.  She said the bill envisages a complete mechanism to determine between misinformation and disinformation.

The Information Minister said it is the first time that content of Children and timely payment of salaries, not later than two months, has been added to the bill's preamble. She said it is also the first time that media stakeholders have been given representation in the PEMRA.

The Information Minister under the bill, the working journalists can now also lodge complaints with the Council of Complaints on any issue faced by them.