Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has said that the government is ready to withdraw the Pika Ordinance.
Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry attended a program on a private TV channel in which he, while answering a question from the host, said that we have given a mandate to the Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi regarding the PICA Ordinance. We will not have any objection to it.
Fawad Chaudhry said that if the Joint Action Committee on Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PICA) had a time frame and presented the final structure within the stipulated time, it would be strong and if the committee approves the recommendations, the government would accept the recommendations. ?
Journalist Mazhar Abbas, who was present at the event, suggested that the government first withdraw the ordinance and set a time when the Joint Action Committee and the government would make a final draft in a matter of days which would be approved by the assembly. Will be accepted
The host asked the Federal Minister if the Joint Action Committee asks Pervez Elahi to ask the government to withdraw this ordinance and we will finalize the new draft together, then would you accept what Fawad Chaudhry said? They will do as Pervez Elahi says.
Media Joint Action Committee includes Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFU). FUJ) and representatives of the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AMEND).
In a joint statement, the journalists’ organizations had rejected the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PICA) Amendment Ordinance and today challenged the Amendment Ordinance in the Islamabad High Court.
The petition filed in the court by the journalists’ organizations contends that sections 2 and 3 of the PICA Amendment Ordinance are against the right of the people to know which would lead to promotion of self-censorship. Journalist organizations have called for the repeal of the Pika Amendment Ordinance, declaring it unconstitutional.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while addressing the nation, while talking about the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PICA), said that on social media, ordinary people speak far and wide against the Prime Minister.