ISLAMABAD   -  The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Tuesday reviewed the ‘Journalists Pro­tection Bill’ that proposes establishment of a com­mission to provide immediate relief to journalists against torture and other calamities.

Senator Syed Ali Zafar chaired the meeting of the committee held at the Parliament House. The com­mittee deliberated on the Private Member Bill titled ‘The Protection of Journalists and Media Profession­als (Amendment) Bill, 2022.’ Senator Saleem Mand­viwalla, the bill’s mover, stated that purpose of the bill is to protect journalists, their families, and their properties. 

The bill proposes establishment of a commission to provide immediate relief to journalists against tor­ture and other calamities. Members of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) informed the committee that the definition of ‘journalist’ varies in different laws and should be standardised across all laws. The bill also proposes clauses to protect the source of journalists. The committee, after a detailed discussion, deferred further deliberation until the next meeting.

While discussing the Punjab Defamation Act, Senator Irfan Siddiqui asserted that the commit­tee has no right to review legislation passed by provincial governments, as the matter falls un­der the ambit of provincial governments follow­ing the 18th Amendment. Senator Syed Ali Zafar opined that the primary objective of this agenda is to conduct a comparative analysis of defamation laws currently in vogue worldwide. He empha­sised that purpose of the law should be to balance fundamental rights and freedoms, rather than to diminish one at the expense of the other. The com­mittee decided to hold an exclusive session to dis­cuss the impact of flawed defamation acts on soci­ety and freedom of expression. 

The meeting was attended by Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Senator Sarmad Ali, Senator Aon Abbas, Senator Muham­mad Tallal Badar, Senator Abdul Shakoor Khan, Senator Jan Muhammad, Senator Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Zarqa Su­harwardhy Taimur, and Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar. Federal Minister for Information and Broad­casting Attaullah Tarar, Secretary Ministry of Infor­mation and Broadcasting Ambreen Jan and other senior officials of relevant departments were also in attendance.