ISLAMABAD: Both the Senate and the National Assembly voted in favor of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023. This comes after the federal government withdrew the bill earlier and reintroduced it with amendments that garnered majority support. Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb presented the bill in the upper house of parliament. She stated that the amendments were incorporated based on input from all stakeholders.
The revised bill outlines the formation of a parliamentary committee responsible for appointing the Pemra chairman. The Ministry of Information will suggest five names for the head of the media regulatory body. The parliamentary committee will consist of four members from the National Assembly and two members from the Senate. These members will equally represent the treasury and opposition benches. According to the amended law, the committee will propose a name for the Pemra chief to the president for appointment.
If the parliamentary committee fails to agree on a name within 30 days, the information ministry panel will refer the matter to the prime minister. The prime minister will then propose a suitable candidate for the position, and this name will be forwarded to the president as per the bill.
The revised legislation also replaces the term “salary” for media workers with the term “dues”.
Speaking in the Senate session, the information minister noted that there was previously no mechanism for media workers to address their issues. She emphasized that the bill would provide financial security for media workers, as media houses failing to pay dues to journalists for two consecutive months will not receive government advertisements.
Amended Bill Enhances Definitions and Workers’ Rights in Media Sector
The amended bill introduces three new clauses, taking into account the possibility of change and improvement.
Aurangzeb highlighted that the revised bill redefines the concepts of misinformation and disinformation. She stressed that consultations with various journalistic organizations were conducted before the bill’s passage. Additionally, media houses not paying minimum wages to their workers will not receive government ads.
Furthermore, media outlets violating wage-related laws could face fines of up to Rs10 million.
