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REGISTERED No.M - 302 L.-7ffi I d s!ffdtiltr @0eGvffi -.-,,1'\- EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY ISLAMABAD, THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2023 PART I Acts, Ordinances, President's Orders and Regulations NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT Islamabad, the l6thAugust, 202j No. F. 22Qs)D023-l,qis.-The following Act of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) received the assent of the President on the I 5th August, 2023, is hereby published for general information:- Acr No. Lxr oF 2023 AN Acr further to amend the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 Wnenses, it is expedient further to amend the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 hereinafter appearing; It is hereby enacted l. as (XIll of 2002), in the manner and for the purposes follows:- Short title and commencsmsnf.- (l) This Act shall be called Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023. (2) It shall come into force at once. (767) Price: U630(2023)/Ex. Gaz.l Rs. 20.00 the

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The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act No.LXI of 2023)

Law

Status of Law: Final/Active/Current

Country

Pakistan

Country Location

Latitude: 30.50420402694667

Longitude: 71.31445294618544

Country Location (linked Law): Pakistan

Keywords

Disinformation
Electronic Media
Misinformation

Adoption Date: Aug 15, 2023

Type of Law: Amendment

Research Category: III Governance of Online and Networked Spaces

Institution that Established this Law: National Assembly

Institution Established by this Law: Council of complaints

Is this the Official Copy?: Yes

Source URL: National assembly of Pakistan

Notes: The Act defined “disinformation” and “misinformation” and imposed a hefty fine of Rs. 10 million for severe violations of either the PEMRA Ordinance or Article 19 of the Constitution, blurring the lines between statutory and constitutional provisions. This grants PEMRA the authority to interpret constitutional rights, which is traditionally the domain of courts, raising concerns over the separation of powers. Furthermore, vague definitions of disinformation/misinformation make the law prone to misuse, while arbitrary prohibitions on content threaten freedom of expression. Positively, the Amendment limits the government’s discretion in appointing the Chairman of PEMRA by involving a parliamentary committee, though discretion over the appointment of private members in PEMRA and the Council of Complaints remains with the federal government, raising concerns over political influence in key appointments.

Collection

Complete Name: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Act, 2023 (Act No.LXI of 2023)

Primary Documents

PEMRA Amendment 2023.pdf
English
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