LAHORE - Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat has said that if there prevailed an effective Press Act in Punjab, no one would have dared to include controversial material in textbooks but unfortunately after the 18th Amendment the previous Punjab government did not pay any attention to it.
He was presiding over the second day meeting of Special Committee of the Punjab Assembly on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Education Minister Dr Murad Ras, Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Assembly members Mian Shafi, Muhammad Ilyas, Muawiyah Azam, Muzaffar Ali Sheikh, Kashif Mahmood and Tahir Khalil Sindhu, Chairman Ulema Council Maulana Tahir Ashrafi, Information Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar and relevant officers were also present.
The meeting discussed the proposed Punjab Press and Publications Bill 2020. Raja Basharat said that Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed effective measures to stop the publication of controversial material in the province, so the PTI government after full deliberation is going to introduce a comprehensive Press and Publications Act that would allow for stricter action on the publication of controversial material.
He said that the Punjab Press and Publications Act would be effective in curbing the publication of unauthorized newspapers and prohibited material as well as blasphemic content relating to any religion.
On the occasion, Information Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar gave a briefing on the key points of the Punjab Press and Publications Bill.
