In the meeting there were members of Media Joint Action Committee, Pakistan Broadband (PBA), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) and Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE). The Media Joint Action Committee had decided to challenge the PECA Ordinance in court and Shehbaz Sharif has offered his full support to them. The PML-N has decided in the meeting that it will table a resolution in the parliament in search of repeal of the PECA Ordinance under Rule 145. If it gets approval, the black law against media will come to an end giving them freedom of speech. Shehbaz Sharif has directed the party leaders to take the relative action and file a petition. According to the government representative, this new Ordinance will bring peace in the country and online defamation will be made a punishable offense. Stricter penalties will be imposed on the defaulters who will spread fake news and hate speech content about people’s personal life on social media platforms. On the contrary, the leader of the parliament opposition, Shehbaz Sharif is of the view that the Ordinance is the indicator of dictatorial and undemocratic rational of the government. They want to restrict media from becoming a mirror for the rulers who could see themselves and could have corrected their defacements. Let’s see how things will come out in the coming future. Whether the Ordinance will be good or bad, for the public and media, is still unexposed. Also Read: IHC stops govt from Making Arrests Under Section 20 of PECA Ordinance
