The Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior has approved an amendment bill for the PECA Act, drawing strong opposition from journalistic organizations. Chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem, the committee held a detailed discussion on the proposed changes.

During the meeting, representatives from journalistic organizations voiced their concerns, highlighting several flaws in the bill that they believe would infringe upon press freedom.

They questioned the bill’s definition of “fake news,” arguing it could lead to new issues rather than addressing existing ones, and requested the committee to reconsider the bill.

Senator Faisal Saleem criticized the journalistic organizations for not submitting their written recommendations, emphasizing that their suggestions should have been presented in writing.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui pointed out that no specific law is required to arrest individuals in the country, sharing his own experience of being detained under the tenancy law.

He also noted that some amendments had been agreed upon in discussions with the Information Minister, suggesting that further changes might be needed for the bill passed by the National Assembly.

The Anchors Association also expressed their objections, stating they were not given sufficient time to contribute suggestions. While they support legislation against fake news, they declared the current version of the bill unacceptable.

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The committee meeting was attended by Senators Shahadat Awan, Omar Farooq, Kamran Murtaza, Palwasha Khan, and Mir Dostain Hassan Domki.

The Secretary of Interior, during the session, highlighted the bill’s necessity for citizen protection, stating that it would be implemented only after receiving approval from the National Assembly.