President okays Pemra Amendment bill

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Tuesday approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill 2023.

The bill got approval under Article 75 of the Constitution and is now officially enacted as the PEMRA Amendment Act 2023.Before providing assent to the PEMRA Amendment Act 2023, President Dr. Arif Alvi assured media workers and the journalist community of his backing for the bill.

This declaration was made during a meeting with a delegation comprising representatives from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), and the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND). The meeting took place at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday.

The delegation comprised Afzal Butt, Arshad Ansari, Naz Afreen Saigol, Sarmad Ali, Shahab Zuberi, Shakeel Masud, Ijazul Haq, Kazim Khan, Ayaz Khan, and Azhar Abbas.

During the discussion, the president acknowledged the joint efforts of the media community in bringing about amendments to the PEMRA law, particularly in safeguarding the rights of media workers. He highlighted that the linkage of government advertisements with the payment of dues to electronic media employees would help in addressing their concerns.

President Alvi engaged in a comprehensive discussion with the visiting delegation about various aspects of the bill. He noted that the amendment bill has introduced improvements to the existing media law. He further encouraged the delegation members to volunteer to educate the youth on the impact of fake news and disinformation.

The president emphasised that young individuals are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of fake news and should be educated and sensitised about its implications. He suggested that the media, particularly senior journalists, should establish stronger ties with academia and universities to guide and educate students about fake news and the evolving landscape of journalism.