ISLAMABAD  -   The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Monday directed the information ministry to compile all speeches of Prime Minister Imran Khan since he took oath of office in 2018 while keeping in view the past practice.

The committee that met under the chair of Senator Faisal Javed at the Parliament House discussed the matter pertaining to non-compilation of PM Khan’s speeches by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui while raising the matter questioned from the officials of the information ministry whether they had published the speeches of the PM Khan while following the past practice. He questioned why the ministry had put an end to this trend after a senior official of the ministry informed the committee that they had published no volume of the speeches.

The chairman committee directed the ministry to compile all the speeches of PM Khan from 2018 to date. The secretary information told the committee that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting would request the press section of the Prime Minister Office for providing materials of the speeches to publish the same.

The committee deferred the consultation on the controversial the “Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022” due to the non-presence of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), a representative body of media and journalist organizations.

Discussing the proposed amendments in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016, Senator Faisal said that there were certain reservations of different media outlets regarding the law and the Ministry of Information should listen to their outcry. He asserted that PM Khan was a staunch supporter of freedom of expression and would never restrict media liberty. He called for fruitful consultation on PECA law, adding that if the recommendations of the JAC and other media outlets regarding the proposed legislation were worthy, then they must be considered and taken up. Senator Moula Bux Chandio said that hearing all the parties on important issues was a good tradition which needed to stay alive.

The chairman committee remarked that the culture of “fake news” must end. He underlined the need for building consensus to end the culture of fake news. After initial discussion on the matter, the consultation on the PECA law was deferred till the next meeting.