Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that the information ministry, along with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), would be taking action “on a massive scale” against fake news.
The minister said this during a press conference in Lahore, where he said he believed that “since the past few days, past few weeks, 90 per cent news on social media is fake”.
Saying so, Naqvi also clarified that he believed in the freedom of expression and liberty to criticise.
He also highlighted that in case false news was reported by a platform in the mainstream media, a complaint could be registered with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Similarly, he continued, a reporter associated with a news outlet would be answerable to their director news or the bureau chief in such a scenario.
“But, on social media one can post any photo, make news as per their wish and post it,” he said, adding that he had spoken to the information minister today morning, and “we will not allow this”.
Naqvi added, “If you have evidence, you can report any story. But it cannot be allowed that you say whatever you want on social media, make any allegation against anyone, [declare] any living person dead and [declare] a dead person alive. This cannot happen.”
The information ministry, along with the NCCIA, would carry out a “crackdown on this on a massive scale”, he said.
“We will not allow you to spread fake news across the country and create panic […] in the garb of journalism.”
The interior minister then went on describe “who is a journalist for us”.
“Journalists are responsible, those who are part of the national media. They work as part of a system. Every institution has a system of check-and-balance and an editorial board,” he said, adding that individuals working as part of these systems “are journalists for us”.
On the other hand, those who spread fake news were “not journalists for us. We are very clear on this”, Naqvi further stated.
