KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was on Monday told that the province needed an authority with the power to take immediate action against any channel or person found spreading fake news.

Furnishing a statement and replying to the lawmakers’ written and verbal queries, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon who also holds the portfolio of the information department, said that the provincial body would be responsible for monitoring, investigating and penalising those who disseminate misinformation.

“Such a mechanism is essential to curb fake news and maintain social stability,” he added.

The minister said a parliamentary committee should be formed to address the issue, and that defamation laws must be made stricter, emphasising that it was the assembly’s responsibility to legislate on such matters. He added that fake news was a major issue and that individuals and their families were being harmed by it.

Sharjeel stresses need for authority to act against those spreading misinformation

He noted that a defamation law exists, but he could not recall anyone being punished under it.

The senior minister said that a resolution on the issue of fake news should be introduced in the assembly and that a parliamentary committee should be formed to prepare recommendations for legislation and implementation. “We are not against freedom of expression, but against fake news,’ he added.

When asked by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Dr Fouzia Hameed, he replied that there was no direct way to financially support newspapers, but the government monitored their circulation and provided them with advertisements.

In response to a point of order raised by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) lone member in the assembly, Muhammad Farooq, the senior minister said that everyone had the right to protest, but no one had the right to harm the public.

Referring to the JI’s attempt to protest in front of the assembly on Saturday, he said that when police stopped protestors from entering the Red Zone, they pelted the police with stones, while former JI MPA Abdul Rashid was seen in a video clip urging JI workers to attack the police. “Is this not terrorism?” he asked, questioning whether attacking the police did not constitute terrorism.

He said that every lawmaker had the right to speak in the assembly and questioned why JI chief Hafiz Naeem, who is also a member of the assembly, did not come to the house to raise his voice. “He [JI chief] holds daily press conferences, so why does he not come here?” he asked.

The minister said that Sharea Faisal had been closed a few days ago, causing a great deal of hardship to people. “Should everyone be given official permission to block roads wherever they wish?” he asked. He warned that if everyone were allowed to block roads across the country at will, public life would come to a standstill.

In his point of order, the JI member vehemently criticised the provincial government for “brutal action” against the protestors.

He said applying sections of anti-terrorism laws on political workers was absolutely wrong and advised the government not to set such precedents.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party leader Shabbir Qureshi also criticised the police for torturing party MPs, leaders and workers. He urged that political workers must not be treated like criminals or terrorists.

Responding to the PTI lawmaker, the senior minister apologised for police violence against the PTI MPA, calling it strongly condemnable. “Whatever is wrong is wrong,” he said.

However, he also recalled the alleged highhandedness of the PTI government, noting that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Faryal Talpur was arrested from a hospital, while Khurshid Shah and the late Agha Siraj Durrani were arrested in Islamabad.

Meanwhile, two call attention notices, submitted by JI’s Muhammad Farooq and MQM-P’s Muhammad Mazahi Amir, were deferred as Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah was not present in the house.

Later, Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah adjourned the house until Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2026