PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has passed a law allowing imprisonment, fines and restrictions on journalists. A gazetted notification for the law regarding salaries, allowances and privileges has also been issued. The law, which was passed through a supplementary agenda on April 30, had remained undisclosed for several months.
According to the details of the bill, the Speaker has been given the authority to bar any journalist from covering Assembly proceedings. The Speaker can also impose a ban on individuals affected by the decision for a specified period. The legislation further authorizes the Speaker to prohibit the publication or broadcast of any Assembly proceedings. Any person or journalist found violating such restrictions may face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to Rs1 million.
The bill also states that action will be taken against any journalist or media organization found to have distorted the reporting of Assembly proceedings. Under the law, such a violation can result in up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs300,000.
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The legislation further provides that a journalist accused of alleging bias against the Speaker or criticizing the Speaker’s conduct may face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to Rs1 million.
It also states that publishing or broadcasting the report of any standing committee before it is formally tabled in the Assembly can result in up to three months’ imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs300,000. Similarly, publishing or broadcasting an adjournment motion before it is tabled may lead to up to one month in prison and a fine of up to Rs100,000.
