JournalismPakistan.com
July 22, 2023

ISLAMABAD—The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill 2023 through consensus.

According to a report by Associated Press Service (APS), the committee meeting was chaired by Zahra Zafar Aheer, the chairperson of the committee, and was held at Radio Pakistan on Friday. The meeting was attended by committee members Nafeesa Shah, Zaib Jafar, Naz Baloch, Federal Secretary for Information Suhail Ali Khan, PEMRA Chairman Saleem Beg, and DG Radio Taher Hassan. It was briefed on the bill by Federal Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb (pictured).

During the committee meeting, discussions were held on the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Press Council Amendment Bill 2023. While briefing on the contents of the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023, the minister mentioned that this is the first time since the enactment of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 that amendments are being made. She said work on the PEMRA Bill began in April 2022 and took 13 months of extensive consultations with all stakeholders. She emphasized the need for amendments to keep up with the evolving media landscape, stating that the media's entire landscape has changed, and the PEMRA law needs to be updated accordingly.
She mentioned that under the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023, journalists will now have the option to lodge their complaints with the Complaints Council, which was not available before. Previously, journalists were fired from their jobs for demanding their salaries. Now, the power to shut down a channel, which was earlier vested in the PEMRA chairman, will be vested in a three-member committee.

The minister also stated that measures have been added to the bill to address fake news, disinformation, and misinformation. She stressed that penalties for spreading false news have been increased from Rs10 lac to Rs one crore. Previously, if incorrect information was aired on any channel, it was attributed to the journalist personally; now, it will be attributed to the channel.

It was mentioned that nine sections of the PEMRA law had been amended, and 20 new sections were added. The bill's language has been modified to include credible news, tolerance, progress and development, and children-related words. The bill now covers a broader range of topics related to entertainment, education, and information for the public. Electronic media, in line with the amendments, is expected to use content related to credible news, social tolerance, progress, and economic development.

The bill also stipulates timely payment of salaries to electronic media employees. They will receive their payments within two months. Timely payment policies will bind the electronic media and Complaints Council. Government advertisements will not be given to electronic media that fails to pay salaries. The broadcast media license will be valid for 20 years, and the distribution license for ten years. The duration of advertising during regular programs on electronic media will not exceed five minutes.

The committee members hailed the bill as a historic step toward the welfare of journalists. After the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting briefing, the National Assembly's Standing Committee approved the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 by consensus. It is important to note that the minister had previously presented the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 in the National Assembly.

Photo courtesy: The Express Tribune