No black law, she declared, would henceforth be proposed or enacted to stifle the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression. Ms Aurangzeb further said that the Digital Media Wing set up by the PTI government to disseminate official information on social media platforms would also be shuttered.
The move was welcomed by many who accused the DMW of instigating vicious trolling of the opposition as well as journalists, bloggers — in short, anyone expressing views critical of the party.Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb ruled out setting up the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) as there was no need for any other regulatory body in addition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).“Whatever work has been done on the ‘black law’ related to the PDMA and in whatever shape it is … it has ceased to exist. We will not bring any black law which violates the citizens’ constitutional right of freedom of expression,” she said in her maiden news conference after assuming charge of the office.
The minister said the joint action committee, formed in the backdrop of PMDA comprising all the stakeholders, would now work out a solution, which would not only be implementable but also acceptable to all.
As regards the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022, she said another black law through which the previous government had tried to gag the media and its opponents, had been struck down by the court on the petitions filed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and multiple organizations.
The PECA, 2016 would be reviewed in consultation with all the stakeholders to ensure effective regulation of the social media, she said, vowing that the freedom of expression right would be protected at all costs.The present era was of the information warfare and the information ministry had major a role to play in that regard, she said.
To a query, she said no innocent person would be put behind the bars, but warned that the law would take its course against the wrongdoers.
To another query, she said the malicious campaign which was launched through faceless twitter handles against the state institutions would be brought to an end. There would be zero tolerance against such campaigns and attack on the journalists and their homes, she added.
The Digital Media Wing had been shut down as the Cyber Wing already existed in the ministry, she said while responding to another query. She said the present government’s sole agenda was to provide relief to the masses by bringing down inflation, creating job opportunities and ending load shedding, completely. Marriyum said the prime minister would address the nation soon and put his priority agenda before the nation. In response to another query, she said President Dr Arif Alvi should resign if he could not play his constitutional role. Earlier, she also held conversation with media persons and heard their issues. However, there are still several landmines strewn across Peca that are not conducive to a healthy exchange of views.
The minister said the joint action committee, formed in the backdrop of PMDA comprising all the stakeholders, would now work out a solution, which would not only be implementable but also acceptable to all.
