The government should instead work with civil society on real reforms that would preserve press freedom and the right to information, Reporters Without Borders RSF said . The watchdog said it was amid scenes of legislative chaos hours before parliaments dissolution that PM Shehbaz Sharifs government pulled off the feat of getting both chambers to hastily adopt controversial changes to Pemra Ordinance which open the way to more censorship .
Shortly before that the government also managed to rush through adoption of its Official Secrets Amendment Act which could also be widely used to harass journalists RSF says . All of these laws drafted without consultation with civil . society pose serious risks to press freedom, the watchdog said .
Besides the government approved an electronic security bill that would create a new digital . media regulator the Digital Security Authority composed of members appointed by government. If parliament passes the law the . Digital Security . The Digital .
Security Authority will have powers similar to those that the PEMra has over the broadcast media, RSF has said. And with regards to broadly defined fake news it would have powers to define fake news. And instead of being fined up to Rs million rupees a media outlet could now be fined a media outlets could be fined more than £100,000 .
for spreading fake news, it said. It would have the almostOrwellian power to record and monitor digital media content. It said . If parliament passed the law, the government intends to give this new authority. If Parliament passes the . law, it would be a new authority, it will have the .
‘Orwell’s ‘orwellian’. It’�. And it’ll have powers like to monitor and monitor. And if parliament passed it.
