Pakistan withdraws PEMRA amendment bill, says Information minister

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 7 (ANI): Pakistan, on Monday, withdrew the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after the objections raised on the proposed legislation, Dawn reported. 
The bill — aimed at streamlining the procedures to register and monitor ratings of TV channels as well as elaborating on the definitions of disinformation and misinformation— was passed by the National Assembly (NA) on August 3.
Pakistan's Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told the Senate committee that the legislation has been formed after much consideration. 
During the briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting today, the information minister said that the government respect the concerns expressed by certain groups regarding specific sections of the proposed legislation.
“We have never compromised on constitutional and democratic principles, nor can we ever do so,” the minister told the Senate committee.
She insisted that the government would never compromise on the constitutional right to freedom of media, expression, and civil liberties, as per Dawn.
“We will always strive together with the media against coercion, authority, and tyranny.”
Aurangzeb stated that the government’s intention was to repeal the previous “black Pemra law,” and in pursuit of this goal, it engaged in consultations with media stakeholders to draft the new legislation.
After the legislation came, several stakeholders expressed concerns.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) as well as journalists’ bodies had expressed concerns that the law could be misused and “may allow powerful groups or individuals to stonewall journalists seeking both sides of a story”.
Additionally, broadcasters had also expressed concern over the government's move and said that the powers to monitor the rating agencies should be given to advertisers.
According to Dawn, in the new amendment bill, “disinformation” refers to verifiably false, misleading, manipulated, created, or fabricated information disseminated or shared with the intent to harm the reputation of or harass any person for political, personal, or financial interest or gains. This dissemination should occur without making an effort to present the other person’s point of view or provide proper coverage and space. However, it does not include “misinformation.”
As for misinformation, the bill states that “misinformation means verifiable false content or information that is unintentionally disseminated or shared”.
Major changes have also been made in the structure as well as operation of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA); e.g. the number of members in the authority was enhanced to 13 from 12, apart from its chairperson.
The chairperson alone will not have the power to suspend the broadcast of any channel, as under the amendment, the powers to stop the airing of any satellite electronic media can be delegated to the “chairman and two PEMRA members”. (ANI)