Daily Times

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday withdrew the PEMRA Amendment Bill, 2023 under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012 to further distil the legislation and address matters related to Parliamentary oversight, the Tribunal, Council of Complaints, and proposed amendments.

The information minister introduced the bill which was comprehensively discussed during the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, a Senate Secretariat press release said.

The meeting was presided over by Senator Fawzia Arshad. Senior journalists from key electronic media organizations in Pakistan and representatives from various media associations attended the meeting to discuss the legislation. During the meeting, the information minister acknowledged the importance of the legislation and emphasized her positive intentions behind proposing it.

After careful consideration and receiving 28 amendments from different stakeholders, the sponsor of the bill made the decision to withdraw it to further refine the legislation by incorporating appropriate amendments and allow the new government to take it up in the future. This move was seen as an opportunity for more time, deliberation, and reconciliation on the bill, given the valuable feedback provided by various stakeholders.

Representatives from different media organizations actively participated in the meeting, submitting their own amendments and sharing their perspectives on the bill.

A key point of focus during the discussions was the issue of dues and salaries of media workers. Members of the committee, journalists, and representatives from media associations underscored the importance of approving the amendments while continuing to deliberate on the rest of the proposed changes rather than completely withdrawing the bill. Senator Irfan Siddiqui emphasized on keeping the bill on the agenda and going on with the deliberation process, particularly with regard to amendments related to the physical and financial security of journalists.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed advocated for the passage of non-controversial amendments.

To further refine the bill and address matters related to the parliamentary oversight, the Tribunal, Council of Complaints, and submitted amendments, the information minister intimated the call for restarting consultations. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure and conduct of business in the Senate, 2012, the bill was officially withdrawn, as announced by the Chair.

Besides committee members including senators Irfan Siddiqui, Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo, Kamran Michael, Waqar Mehdi, Anwar Lal Dean, Kamran Murtaza, and Mushtaq Ahmed, senior officials of the the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, senior journalists, and the PEMRA chairman attended the meeting. The meeting concluded, intending to refine the bill to ensure its effectiveness in regulating the electronic media landscape in Pakistan.