President Dr Arif Alvi accords his assent on a bill necessitating sign language interpreters for TV programs

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (SABAH): President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday accorded his assent to the Access to the Media (Deaf) Persons Act, 2022.

The Act provides that after six months of the commencement of the Act, the government shall not allow to broadcast any news bulletin on the national broadcaster, state or private run electronic media, private television channels, cable TV or any other broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters, a President House press release said.

The Act also provided that after one year of the commencement of the Act, the government shall not allow to broadcast any program, entertainment, advertisement, talk show, drama, film or any other pictorial segment on the national broadcaster, media, private television channels, cable TV or any other broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters.

The Act provides that the government and private owned media houses, within six months shall appoint Pakistan sign language interpreters for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

The Act shall come into force at once and shall extend to the whole of Pakistan.