ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said the government was in the process of promulgating the first ever bill for the safety and protection of journalists. The bill, containing a comprehensive plan for providing safe working environment to journalists, would be presented in a cabinet meeting soon, she said.
The minister made these revelations while briefing the Senate committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, chaired by Senator Aslam Bodla.
She said the moment she assumed charge as a state minister, former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif advised her to bring in legislation for the protection of journalists. The minister told the committee that an exhaustive discussion had taken place with regard to the Protection of Journalists Bill during the last eight months and the government was contemplating to take joint steps with the media houses for the protection and safety of journalists. She said all elements of the bill presented by Member of National Assembly Tariq Ullah had been incorporated in the government bill in which an appropriate definition of a journalist had also been formulated, which included all working journalists. The minister proposed the formation of a sub-committee to work further on the bill and chairman of the committee acceded to the request.
The minister informed the committee that the council of complaints of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was being reconstituted and people from different professional fields, lawyers and journalists would be included in it. She said PEMRA was an authority and not an investigative body and was working in conformity with rules and regulations enshrined in the relevant ordinances. She said, similarly, the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) board of directors had also been reformed in line with the Companies Act 2017.
Published in Daily Times, October 26th 2017.
