The Senate on Wednesday approved the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance (Amendment) Bill, 2023 clause by clause, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb tabled the bill in the upper house of the Parliament.

Earlier, talking to the media outside the Parliament House in Islamabad, Marriyum Aurangzeb said bodies of journalists were taken on board on the bill.

She regretted that some people opposed the bill without first reading its text. “I know the difficulties journalists in Pakistan have to go through,” she said, adding, “There were lot of concessions for journalists in the bill. However, it was called a ‘black law’. We worked on the bill for one whole year.”

Marriyum informed that under the bill, the PEMRA chairman would be selected by the parliament.

She said that nobody could rob journalists of their rights so long as they remained united.

She said bringing amendment in the PEMRA Bill will not only ensure the devolution of power, but it will also ensure the freedom of expression.

Highlighting the features of the PEMRA Bill, the minister said it will make sure the financial security of media workers as government will not give businesses to those media houses that will not pay the dues to journalists for consecutive two months.

Marriyum said under this Bill, four million rupees will be given to the heirs of the journalists, died while performing duties. She said the issue of misinformation will be addressed greatly under this bill.

The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already launched the Health Insurance Cards scheme for the protection of journalists.