Senate committee approves bill for special persons' access to media

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 2 June 2022

The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has approved 'The Access of Media (Deaf and Dumb) Persons Bill, 2022'. This bill aims to improve media access for special persons, addressing concerns about their alienation from media content.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has unanimously approved a bill, 'The Access of Media (Deaf and Dumb) Persons Bill, 2022', aiming to take steps to ensure the special persons' access to the media.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, who moved the bill, in his briefing to the committee under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Javed, pointed out the growing sense of alienation among the special persons who could not watch dramas and listen to the news on television channels.

The senator sought the support of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for implementing the bill once it became the law after approval from the relevant forums.

Mandviwalla said the word "dumb" had been removed from the bill as some committee members had expressed reservations in that regard.

The secretary for Information and Broadcasting and PEMRA chairman did not express any reservation over the bill and vowed full support for its implementation.