Hamid Mir heavily criticizes PEMRA amendment bill 2023
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00:00 I think your legitimate demands have been ignored by your workers. I will say this because we are scared of the risk. Your credibility has been ignored by your workers.
00:20 If this bill is passed, it will be an interesting test case for me. Political parties run their own dis-info and mis-info cells.
00:32 So, the information of the political parties in the government will be dis-info and mis-info. It will be tricky.
00:50 There are two important things in this. First, I mentioned that last year, the government of Tehreek-e-Islam launched a presidential ordinance called PICA Amendment Ordinance 2022.
01:02 We challenged it in Islamabad High Court and got it suspended. It was exactly the same ordinance.
01:10 They passed this bill with the aim of imposing censorship on the media. It is okay to pay your salaries on time.
01:20 But you are trying to inject a sweet poison into the media that you will get your salary on time but we will shut you up.
01:30 The clauses of dis-information and misinformation that they have included in this bill, we had an objection to these clauses in the Journalist Protection Bill.
01:40 We had called Section 6 a censorship clause. We did not accept it and got it removed. Now, this censorship clause has come in this bill as well.
01:52 At that time, Maryam Aurangzeb was supporting us. Now, she has imposed the same censorship on us.
01:58 And the most important thing is that I told you that the petition I filed in the Supreme Court in 2012, during that petition,
02:06 the Code of Ethics of Pemra was implemented by Justice Jawad S Khawaja in 2015.
02:11 And it was made by the government of Muslim League Noon.
02:14 And the misinformation and dis-information that they have talked about, the person who is in the news will also be included in the opinion.
02:20 The Code of Ethics Section 22 is present in this. Now, they have made those things good mood.
02:27 Because they have brought the Code of Conduct Section 22 in the bill in the form of a clause.
02:32 The purpose is that they have not made any definition of what is misinformation and what is dis-information.
02:38 But by putting it on any journalist or any TV channel that you have not given a definition of the news you have given.
02:46 So, we will prosecute you in this. So, this is a blackmailing tactic.
02:51 And before the election, this bill that has been approved, the parliament's shoulder is being used.
02:57 I think this is pre-poll rigging. I bring this in the category of pre-poll rigging.
03:02 And this is also contempt of court. This is also an attempt to implement a new martial law on Pemra.
03:09 And apart from this, I think this bill also comes under the category of pre-poll rigging.
03:16 Through this pre-poll rigging, you will give the authority to some institutions, for example, the Election Commission of Pakistan,
03:22 to complain about any journalist to Pemra.
03:26 Now, our friend in Pemra, Mr. Sunil Beg, who is the chairman, when our hearing was taking place,
03:32 from 2012 to 2018, during the hearing, three chairmen of Pemra were changed.
03:38 And the current chairman of Pemra, during that hearing, we said that the chairman of Pemra should be independent.
03:44 For that, you should advertise the post. The post was advertised. They applied.
03:49 They were presented. When they were presented, the Chief Justice asked, "Who are you?"
03:53 He said, "I am an employee of the Information Ministry." He said, "Go, go, resign." "Resign and come back."
03:58 He resigned. Then he was kept. Now, they have taken two extensions.
04:02 Now, you have taken two extensions. And I have no personal grudge against you. You are my friend.
04:07 But you have taken two extensions. So, the new bill that has been approved, the coins that have been put in it,
04:14 through those coins, you will screw us up. Therefore, we have no way.
04:19 We will protest against this government, against those who approved this bill, and against Pemra.
04:24 Don't joke. What is PFUJ doing? Because, obviously, you yourself said that there are many things that are a surprise for you.
04:31 Is there a way out? Or, is there a consultation? Because the bill has been passed. They have bulldozed it.
04:37 This bill has come in the night. And we have called the meeting of PFUJ the day before yesterday.
04:41 Okay.
04:42 Obviously, it will be an online meeting. PFUJ does not live in a city. Some live in Quetta, some in Sindh, some in this and that.
04:49 We are sending copies of this bill to everyone. We will read it. And PFUJ will give its detailed response to it, in a shikwise manner.
04:57 Okay? Right now, we appreciate the first thing that was there. It was very necessary.
05:03 But, the rest of the things that I have told you, that even a burnt milk chach is drunk on the blow.
05:11 So, in the name of misinformation and disinformation, anyone can be... Here, even a person can change the best news.
05:20 No, Adi, these are the news that have to be planted by the government itself.
05:24 And secondly, I...
05:25 Sir, they do it through means.
05:26 Which means?
05:27 Means.
05:28 Secondly, which political parties are they? And what is their power? Like, disinformation is not made by you.
05:34 That's what I am saying.
05:35 They feed you the news. They do all the propaganda.
05:38 The information that is in the government, is not misinformation.
05:42 When our conversation was also on this issue, and we were not able to reach any conclusion,
05:47 there was only one threat that there is a very high chance of it being misused.
05:51 So, that's why we should definitely keep this in mind, so that today, you do this in a hurry,
05:58 so tomorrow, you are in opposition, or not, but in the end, the society has to pay for it.
06:03 So, that's why, day after tomorrow, PFJ will give its detailed response to all this.
06:08 We will talk about this after a collective wisdom.