ISLAMABAD - President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday signed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023, said a statement issued by the President’s House.
The statement also said that the bill has been approved under Article 75 of the Constitution and has now changed into an act. Last week, the bill was approved by the upper and lower houses of parliament after the federal government withdrew it following journalist associations’ concerns.
According to the bill, the a parliamentary committee will be formed for the appointment of the Pemra chairman and the Ministry of Information will propose five names for the media regulatory body chief. The committee will send a name for the PEMRA chief to the president for appointment, according to the amended law. The amended legislation has also replaced the word salary for media workers with dues.
President Dr Arif Alvi has assured media workers and the journalist community of his support for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill 2023.
The President stated this while talking to a delegation of representatives of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND), who called on him, at Aiwan-e-Sadr here on Tuesday. The delegation comprised Afzal Butt, Arshad Ansari, Naz Afreen Saigol, Sarmad Ali, Shahab Zuberi, Shakeel Masud, Ijaz ul Haq, Kazim Khan, Ayaz Khan, and Azhar Abbas.
The President appreciated the collective efforts of the media community for introducing amendments to the PEMRA law, especially to protect the rights of media workers.