PEMRA Act amendment lists new definition of 'disinformation'

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has approved amendments to Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Ordinance 2002, listing new definition of ‘disinformation’, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, the Federal Cabinet approved the amendments to PEMRA Ordinance 2002 through circulation. The cabinet approved extending PEMRA’s jurisdiction to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

The amendments also made licences for TV channels conditional to not broadcasting ‘disinformation’.

As per the new amendments, the Council of Complaints will now look into issues of salaries and dues of media employees.

Earlier in December 2022, President Dr Arif Alvi accorded his assent to the Access to the Media (Deaf) Persons Act, 2022.

The Act provides that after six months of the commencement of the Act, the government shall not allow to broadcast any news bulletin on the national broadcaster, state or private run electronic media, private television channels, cable TV or any other broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters.

The Act also provided that after one year of the commencement of the Act, the government shall not allow to broadcast any program, entertainment, advertisement, talk show, drama, film or any other pictorial segment on the national broadcaster, media, private television channels, cable TV or any other broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters.

The Act provides that the government and private owned media houses, within six months shall appoint Pakistan sign language interpreters for carrying out the purposes of this Act.