Those who would deliberately spread false information would be fined Rs10 million instead of Rs1 million under a bill unanimously approved by an upper house panel on Friday.

“The fine for deliberately spreading false news will be increased from one million to Rs10 million,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in her briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Amendment Bill 2023.

Work on the PEMRA Bill started in April 2022. It took 13 months for its preparation during which there were long consultations with all the stakeholders, said Aurangzeb who described the tweaks as “need of the hour”.

Information Minister Aurangzeb said that the PEMRA law was being amended for the first time after the PEMRA Ordinance 2002. Under the bill, for the “first time,” journalists were being given the option to file their complaints in the Grievance Council.

Earlier, she said that journalists were fired for demanding salaries. “Previously the authority to close a channel was with the Pemra chairman but now under this law this authority will be with a three-member committee.”

The committee described the PEMRA Amendment Bill 2023 as a “historic initiative” for the welfare of journalists and appreciated the efforts of all stakeholders including the government in preparing the bill.

The meeting of the committee was held at Radio Pakistan on Friday under the chairmanship of the committee’s chairperson Javaria Zafar Aheer.

The PEMRA (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Press Council of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2023 were discussed in the meeting.

Aurangzeb, who has also served in the current position, went on to add that the interpretation of fake news, disinformation and misinformation has been included in the bill. “Disinformation and misinformation have been worked on separately.”

This time, the ministry has decided to link the publication of news with the channel unlike in the past when fake news was associated with the journalist concerned.

Aurangzeb added that instead of news, words such as “certified news, patience and tolerance, economic and energy development, and children-related content” have been added at the beginning of the bill.

Under the bill, the scope of public entertainment, education and information has been expanded.

“In the bill, the electronic media has been made obligated to pay the salaries of the employees on time. Timely payment refers to payments made to electronic media employees within two months,” she said and added that electronic Media was bound to abide by all decisions and orders of PEMRA and Grievance Council for timely payment of salaries.

Government advertisements at the federal and provincial levels “will not be provided” to the relevant electronic media due to non-payment of salaries.