The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, has been signed into law by President Dr Arif Alvi under Article 75 of the Constitution, according to an official press statement.
The amended PEMRA bill was unanimously approved last week by the Senate after last-minute changes. The legislation had earlier been withdrawn following strong opposition from some anchorpersons and activists.
Former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb congratulated media workers on the development, saying that the incorporation of Article 19 of the Constitution in the law has ensured freedom of speech for journalists.
میڈیا خاص طور پر میڈیا ورکرز کو باضابطہ مبارک ہو، پرویز مشرف کی آمریت سے جنم لینے والے پیمرا کے سیاہ کالے قانون کو پیمرا(ترمیمی) بل 2023 کی صورت دستور پاکستان کی جمہوری و بنیادی انسانی حقوق کی حدود میں لے آئے ہیں، آرٹیکل 19 کو قانون کا حصہ بناکر اظہار رائے کی آزادی کو یقینی…
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) August 15, 2023
The president had earlier assured his support for the bill in a meeting with a delegation that comprised representatives from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), and Association for Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND).
Linking government advertisements with the payment of dues of electronic media employees will help address their issues, the president said in the meeting. He stressed the need for educating young people about disinformation and its implications. The president also remarked that senior journalists should enhance their links with universities to guide students about new developments in journalism.
President Dr. Arif Alvi had a meeting with the representatives of PFUJ, APNS, PBA, CPNE and AEMEND. pic.twitter.com/izjUNV6jZk
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) August 15, 2023
The original draft of the bill was approved on 3rd August, 2023, by the National Assembly (NA). It was, however, retracted following strong backlash from some senior journalists. They raised objections to some of the bill’s provisions and termed it an attempt to exercise formulated control over the media.
The objections then led to discord between the protesting journalists and media workers, who widely supported the legislation for addressing long-standing issues related to their payments in media houses.
The bill was subsequently reintroduced with minor amendments, including replacement of the term “salaries” with “dues”. The authority to appoint the PEMRA chairperson was also granted to the parliament.
The PEMRA legislation obliges media houses to pay journalists’ dues within two months. If a media outlet fails to pay journalists for two consecutive months, the government will stop issuing advertisements to it. It will also allow journalists to lodge complaints against their organisation in case of violation with a Council of Complaints, which will include representatives from the PFUJ as well.
Moreover, the act provides distinguished definitions for misinformation and disinformation. It refers to disinformation as “verifiably false, misleading, manipulated, created or fabricated information which is disseminated or shared with the intention to cause harm to the reputation of or to harass any person for political, personal, or financial interest or gains without making an effort to obtain other person’s point of view or not giving it proper coverage and space but does not include misinformation”.
It also increases the fine for deliberately spreading false news from Rs1 million to Rs10 million.
Despite being well received by majority of media workers, the PEMRA bill has evoked concerns from some media professionals. They believe that the legislation will have serious implications on electoral reporting in the upcoming election with regards to its provisions related to disinformation.
Activists also raised the alarm over the bill’s rushed drafting and approval process, questioning the transparency and openness in the “extensive consultations” as claimed by the former coalition government.
