The government had to withdraw the new bill on PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) amendments after the protests of the different journalists’ organizations throughout the country.
A consultative meeting was held at Karachi Press Club in which representatives of the government as well all journalist organizations were present, during which the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 was rejected.
The journalists presented a demand in the meeting to establish a two-member media commission recommended by the Supreme Court and to reconstitute PEMRA.
During the meeting, it was decided to nominate the Chairman of PEMRA and the members of the Council of Complaints through a six-member parliamentary committee.
A recommendation was presented during the meeting that PEMRA, as a regulatory authority, should only function as a prosecutor and not have the power to issue punishments like a judge. In any such scenario, there is a need to establish a separate special tribunal.
The journalists expressed their concerns about the misuse of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan, and an appeal was made to Parliament to review the involvement of the judiciary and security establishment in political matters.
The meeting demanded legislation on the lines of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973 to regulate media employees’ conditions and services.
The importance of the position of ‘editor’ and the restoration of the editor’s responsibilities were emphasized in the meeting.
Deep concerns were expressed in the meeting over the increase in unauthorized news, remarks, audio, and video leaks, and it was stated that the best way to counter such propaganda and offensive material is to have strong legislation against defamation. Efforts were made to emphasize the need for amending the Defamation Law of 2002 to make it more effective.
The meeting agreed that to ensure the freedom of the press, improve media workers’ conditions, and protect journalists’ employment and lives, there should be ongoing consultation with all stakeholders in the media, including PEMRA, to make the regulatory authority more effective. The meeting expressed deep concern over incidents of journalists’ disappearances, non-disclosure agreements, and censorship on the media.
In the statement issued by former Secretary General of PFUJ, Nasser Zaidi, and Prince Zulfikar, it was also said that they question the authenticity of the statement issued by Minister of Information Maryam Aurangzeb and clarify that a final discussion on this matter had taken place with the former body of PFUJ.
They demanded that the PEMRA Amendment Bill be withdrawn, and all factions be made part of a serious consultative process rather than passing a bill that could harm the country’s reputation on the international stage.
In response to the statement issued by PFUJ, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb said that the Joint Action Committee, which includes media organizations, including CPNE, APNS, AEMEND, PFUJ, and journalist Nasser Zaidi, had been consulted on this bill.
She further clarified, “I did not make any decision alone; I did not make any decision without consultation; I did not make any decision without consulting the Joint Action Committee.”
On July 20, 2023, the proposed bill presented by Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb included sections on ‘disinformation’ and ‘misinformation.’
Regarding the bill, she stated that the purpose of introducing new regulations is to control misleading and false information in the news. She also said, “The definition of fake news has also been included in the bill.”
The bill defines ‘disinformation’ as news that is given for personal, political, or financial gain or to harass someone. As per the bill, anyone affected by the relevant channel will also publish or provide coverage in the same prominent manner as the ‘disinformation’ against them.