President signs OGRA, allied health professionals bills into acts

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday signed into acts the bills related to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and Council Of Allied Health Sciences Pakistan.

The bills include OGRA (Amendment) Act 2022, OGRA (Second Amendment) Act 2022, and Allied Health Professionals Council Act 2022.

According to the president’s media office, Dr Arif Alvi gave approval to three bills in line with Article 75 of the Constitution making them acts.

Read more: President Dr Arif Alvi signs journalists protection bill into act

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صدر مملکت ڈاکٹر عارف علوی نے آئین کے آرٹیکل 75 کے مطابق الائیڈ ہیلتھ پروفیشنلز کونسل بل، 2022، آئل اینڈ گیس ریگولیٹری (ترمیمی) بل، 2022 اور آئل اینڈ گیس ریگولیٹری (دوسری ترمیم) بل، 2022 کی منظوری دے دی

صدرِ مملکت کی منظوری کے بعد تینوں بلز ایکٹ بن گئے pic.twitter.com/PAXVGCaeNN

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 1, 2022

On December 2, 2021, President Alvi had signed the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals Bill into an act, calling it historic legislation for the country.

The president had signed the legislation during a ceremony in Islamabad which was attended by cabinet ministers, journalists, and other media professionals.

The bill focused on protecting the lives of journalists, saving them from harassment and torture and ensuring their welfare by giving facilities of life and health insurance.

President Alvi had said that for the last 60 to 70 years, the journalists kept on highlighting issues, but the mafias always harassed, tortured or tried to silence them.

People put pressure on journalists to stop them from exposing their mistakes, he had added while underlining the need for a culture of tolerance for journalists as what they did was their job.

The president had said that he came to know that a consensus was built among the stakeholders on the bill.

“Everybody is unanimous in protecting the rights of journalists,” he had stressed.

While explaining the features of the act, President Alvi had said that the act gave protection of life to journalists.

“This right to life is important as the journalists worked in hazardous conditions and with neutrality.”