The government has decided to counter the dissemination of misinformation on mainstream and social media through an e-letter. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information, Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, announced this while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
She said the decision was taken during the federal cabinet’s meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.
Awan said that the Prime Minister had directed the Information Ministry for taking concrete measures to tackle the spread of misinformation in the country. The ministry will now issue an e-letter for an official rebuttal of all fake and fabricated news, which will be followed by legal action.
Among other critical decisions, the cabinet also approved the construction of skyscrapers in metropolises like Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Multan. A notification in this regard will be issued soon.
She also mentioned that Prime Minister Khan has urged the Aviation Ministry to accelerate the process of hiring multinational companies for the provision of quality services on airports and enhancing its revenue.
Furthermore, the premier has also transferred the aviation companies’ license renewal authority to the concerned ministry, which will minimize complications.
Information Ministry has also tabled a suggestion of creating a WhatsApp-like end-to-end encrypted application for effective and secure intercommunication between government departments and their employees.
Moreover, the IT Ministry is also working on an online portal that will assist unemployed professionals in getting jobs in relevant sectors.
Given the misuse of social media and itresesponsible behaviour of users, it makes sense to have this forum. The name sounds a bit childish.