ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday extended gratitude to all the stakeholders especially the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for their efforts, time and input in preparing the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023.

“I am pleased that the NA Standing Committee for Information & Broadcasting passed the PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023 today, which I had laid in the National Assembly yesterday,” the minister said in a tweet.

She said the Bill was approved by the committee after a comprehensive discussion among the committee members.

The minister said the Bill was prepared after extensive consultations with all stakeholders who were part of the Joint Action Committee including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Pakistan Broadcasters Association, AMEND, Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editor, and All Pakistan Newspapers Society over the course of the last one year.

She said all the stakeholders were taken on board, and their inputs and feedbacks were incorporated into the Bill.

The Bill was finalised and laid after sign-off from and ownership by all stakeholders, she added.

Marriyum said the Bill aimed at improving welfare of journalists, and enabling a free, responsible and ethical media environment in Pakistan, as practiced in democratic countries around the world.

“The Bill addresses various important long-standing issues and matters including arbitrary, unchecked concentrated powers of Chairman PEMRA, lack of representation of PFUJ and PBA in PEMRA Authority and the Council of Complaints, delayed payments of journalists’ salaries, and the definitions of misinformation and disinformation,” she remarked.

She announced that she would hold a press conference on July 23 to share the salient features of the Bill, and the details of the extensive participatory and consultative process carried out to prepare this Bill which culminated in the sign-off and ownership of the final Bill by all stakeholders.