PEMRA bill sails through parliament

Opposition raises alarms after minister reintroduced bill; stages walkout

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate on Wednesday unexpectedly approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which had recently been withdrawn by the government, amid alarms raised by the opposition parties and a walkout staged by the PTI.

The bill seeks to streamline procedures for registering and monitoring television channel ratings, while also clarifying the definitions of disinformation and misinformation. However, concerns were raised by various stakeholders, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and journalist bodies.

They expressed worries that the law could be misused to suppress journalists seeking balanced reporting.

Broadcaster organisations were also critical of the government's move, arguing that the power to monitor rating agencies should be given to advertisers instead.

Despite these concerns, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb reintroduced the bill during the Senate session, highlighting that amendments had been made, including granting parliament the authority to select the Pemra chairman.

Marriyum explained that the term "salaries" had been replaced with "dues" to avoid confusion, and that modifications had been made to the definitions of misinformation and disinformation.

She denounced the bill's previous characterisation as a "black law", highlighting a deliberate campaign against her.

Marriyum also acknowledged the efforts of journalists in raising awareness about the amendments.

During the session, Yousuf Raza Gilani suggested taking more time to discuss the bill, emphasising the importance of consultations.

Read Govt withdraws PEMRA (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Senator Irfan Siddiqui stated that all stakeholders had been consulted, expressing respect for differing opinions and urging against rejecting the bill.

However, Senator Saifullah Abro pointed out that the bill had been withdrawn by the information minister and referred to the committee for review.

He questioned why the bill was being reintroduced so quickly, emphasising the need to set a limit for the term of Pemra chairman.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed expressed agreement on ensuring timely payment of salaries and welfare of media workers. However, he disagreed on certain aspects of the bill, particularly the appointment of Pemra chairman.

Ahmed advocated for the chairman to be appointed by the parliamentary committee to ensure independence from government influence.

The unexpected approval of the controversial bill raises concerns about the potential misuse of the law and its impact on press freedom and balanced reporting. Despite the opposition's criticism, the bill has now cleared a major hurdle on its path to becoming law.

Other bills

The Senate also passed eight crucial bills for the establishment of new educational institutions in a significant move to bolster the country’s higher education landscape across the country.

A total of 24 bills were tabled by the standing committee, of which eight gained approval with a majority vote during the session.

The approved bills included The Askari Institute of Higher Education Bill, 2023; The Metropolitan International Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2023; The Islamabad University of Health Sciences and Emerging Technologies Islamabad Bill, 2023; The Mufti-e-Azam Islamic University, Islamabad Bill, 2023; The International Islamic Institute for Peace (IIIP) Bill, 2023; The Kalam Bibi International Women Institute Bannu (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Rahim Jan University Bill, 2023; and The Akhuwat Institute Kasur Bill, 2023.