Marriyum Aurangzeb negates the impression that PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 was put in place due to any pressure or urgency
ISLAMABAD, Aug 10 (SABAH): Former minister for information and broadcasting and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill 2023 has been designed for the protection of journalists’ rights.
Addressing media persons at National Press Club, Islamabad on Thursday, Marriyum Aurangzeb said the process of consultation over PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 continued for one year and all the concerned stockholders of media organizations remained part of the consultations. She negated the impression that PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 was put in place in hurry or it was outcome of any pressure as it took over 12 months to hold detailed consultation over it.
She expressed gratitude to all the media organizations and workers for supporting PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023. She said on the other day that consultations were held with all stakeholders during preparation of the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023.
She noted the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Broadcasters Association and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) were involved in the consultation process and they supported the bill.
“Major change in the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023 was the inclusion of Article 19 which guaranteed freedom of expression and definition of misinformation and disinformation,” she added.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said in the amended bill, the powers of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) chairman had been curtailed and entrusted to the Council of Complaints (CoC). The minister said she had closely witnessed the difficulties being faced by the media workers when she was in opposition. The working journalists and media workers performed duties entrusted by their institutions under difficult conditions, and continued that the clauses added to the bill were related to their welfare.
She said timely payment of salaries to the media workers and journalists was protected in the bill and the government would not give advertisements to the media outlets which would clear dues of their employees within two months. “Implementation of the minimum wage law for journalists and media workers is ensured in the amended bill,” she added.
At present, she said there was no platform for the media workers where their appeals could be heard, but now media workers, journalists and owners had been given representation in the CoC.
Marriyum Aurangzeb maintained, “The government had appointed a competent chairman of the Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper Employees (ITNE), which redressed the complaints of newspaper employees, she added. She said during the last nine months, the ITNE helped recover Rs140 million dues of the newspaper employees.” She added the workers show the spirit unity for safeguarding their rights.