Access to the Media (Deaf) Persons Act, 2022

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THE ACCESS TO THE MEDIA (DEAF) PERSONS ACT, 
2022 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
           __________ 
 
1.    Short title, extent and commencement 
2.   Definitions 
3.    Responsibility of the Authority 
4.     Appointment of the Pakistan sign language interpreters 
5.     Establishment of National Policy Board 
6.    Procedure for transaction of business 
7.    Officers and other employees of the Board 
8.     Function of the Board 
9.    Procedure of the Board  
10.  Annual reports of the Board 
11.  Funds of the Board 
12.  Accounts and audit of Board. 
13.  Power of the Government to issue directives 
14.  Returns or information 
15. Offences 
16.  Power to make rules 
17.  Power to make regulations 

 
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18.  Power to remove difficulties and doubts 
19.  Act to override other laws 
 
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THE ACCESS TO THE MEDIA (DEAF) PERSONS ACT, 2022 
 
ACT No. XL OF 2022 
[30th December, 2022] 
 
AN 
ACT 
    to ensure access of media to persons in all matters of public importance  through Pakistan sign 
language 
 
WHEREAS it is expedient for deaf persons to access information in all matters of public 
importance through Pakistan sign language broadcast media as guaranteed  by the Constitution of the 
Islamic Republic of Pakistan and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto; 
It is hereby enacted as follows:— 
1. Short title, extent and commencement . —(1) This Act shall be called the Access to the 
Media (Deaf) Persons Act, 2022. 
 
(2)  It extend to the whole of Pakistan. 
 
(3)  It shall come into force at once. 
2.  Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— 
 
(a) “Authority”  means  the  Pakistan Electronic  Media  Regulatory  
Authority established under section 3 of the Pakistan Electronic  
Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 (XIII of 2002); 
(b) “Board” means  the National  Policy  Board  established  under  
section 5; 
(c)    “broadcast  media ”  means  such  media  which  originate  and  
propagate broadcast and prerecorded signals by terrestrial means or  
through satellite for television and includes telepo rting, provision of  
access to broadcast signals by channel provi ders and such other  
forms of broadcast media as the Authority may, with the approval  
of the Government, by notification in the official Gazette, specify; 
(d)    “Cable TV ” means reception of broadcast and prerecorded signals  
from different channels and their distribution t o subscribers through  
a set of closed transmission; 
(e)    “channel” means the set of frequencies that a broadcast station  
occupies for broadcasting; 
(f)  “Division concerned” means the Division to which the business of this Act shall 
stands allocated; 
   
 
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(g)   “electronic media ” includes the broadcast me dia and distribution  
 services; 
 
(h)    “Government” means the Federal Government; 
(i)  “media” means communication used regularly for broadcasting of information  
and  expression  of views  and  opinions  through electronic media including 
state sponsored and private television channels for the purpose of this Act; 
(j)   “member” means  a member of  the Board and includes the  
 Chairperson; 
(k)   “national  broadcaster” means   the   Pakistan   Broadcasting  Corporation, the 
Pakistan Television Corporation and the Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting 
Company; 
(1)  “Pakistan sign language ” is the preferred language of Pakistan ’s deaf 
population holding the same  status as minority spoken languages; 
(m) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules or regulations made under this Act; 
(n)      “regulations” means the regulations made under this Act; and 
(o) “rules” means the rules made under this Act. 
(2)  The words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Pakistan 
Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 (XIII of 2002) or in any other law for the 
time being enforced shall have the same meanings as assigned to them in the respective laws and rules 
made thereunder. 
 
3.  Responsibility of the Authority.—(1) After six months of the commencement of this Act, 
the Government shall not allow to broadcast any news bulletin on the national broadcaster, state or 
private run electronic media, private television channels, Cable TV or any other broadcast media 
without Pakistan sign language interpreters.  
(2)  After one year of the commencement of this Act, the Government shall not allow to 
broadcast any program, entertainment, advertisement, talk show, drama, fil m or any other pictorial 
segment on the national broadca ster, media, private television channels, Cable TV or any other 
broadcast media without Pakistan sign language interpreters. 
4.  Appointment of the Pakistan sign language interpreters.—The Government and private 
owned media houses, within six months, shall  appoint and Pakistan sign language interpreters for 
carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
5.  Establishment of National Policy Board.—(1) The Government, after the commencement 
of this Act, within three months, shall constitute a Board to be known as the National Policy Board 
for the purposes of the access of media through Pakistan sign language to deaf persons. 
 
(2)    The Board shall consist of — 
(a) Minister-in-Charge;    Chairperson 
 
 
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(b) Secretary of the Division concerned; 
Member 
 
(c) two members from the Senate, one each from 
government and opposition;   
       
Members 
(d) two memb ers from the National Assembly, 
one each from government and opposition;   
 
Members 
 
(e) 
Chief Executive or head of National Institute 
of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM); 
Members 
 
(f) 
one representative from Division concerned 
not below the rank of Joint Secretary; 
Member 
 
(g) 
Chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media 
Regulatory Authority; 
Member 
(h) 
one representative from Ministry of Federal 
Education and Professional Training not 
below the rank of Joint Secretary; 
Member 
(i) 
one representative of the Division concerned 
not below the rank of Joint Secretary (BPS -
20); 
Member 
(j) 
representative from the Deaf community in 
Pakistan, as nominated by the deaf; 
Member 
 
(k) 
representatives from organizations serving 
the Deaf community. Number of hearing 
representatives from these organization  
should not exceed 10% of the number of deaf 
representatives allocated in clause (j). 
Members 
 
                                   
(3)  The member at clause (i) shall act as secretary of the Board as well. 
(4)  The Board shall co-opt any person as member. 
 
(5)  The secretariat of the Board shall be at main office of the Authority. 
6.  Procedure for transaction of business.—(1) The Board shall meet regularly at such time 
as the Chairperson thinks fit, but at least once in every six months. 
(2)  All decisions at a meeting shall be taken by majority: 
Provided that in the case of equality of votes, the Chairperson or in his absence the person 
presiding shall have and can exercise a second or casting vote. 
(3)  If for any reason, the Chairperson is unable to attend a meeting of the Board, any member 
chosen by the members present from amongst themselves at the meeting shall preside. 
 
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(4)  Quorum of the meeting shall not be less than fifty percent of its total membership at the 
time of such meeting. 
(5)  In the event of a requisition signed and presented by one -fourth of the members, the 
Chairperson shall call a meeting of the Board within seven days of such requisition, presented to the 
Chairperson. 
7.   Officers and other employees of the Board. —(1) The Au thority after approval of the 
Government shall appoint officers and other employees of the Board on such terms and conditions as 
may be prescribed. 
(2)  The Secretary shall be responsible for proper administration of affairs of the Board and its 
day-to-day management and shall exercise and discharge such other -powers and perform such other 
functions as may be prescribed. 
8.   Function of the Board. —The Board shall have the responsibility to achieve and 
implement objectives of this Act and to assist the government on all matters for the access of media 
to deaf persons. 
9.  Procedure of the Board.—(1) The Board shall regulate its own procedure. 
 
(2)  All orders and decisions of the Board shall be authenticated by the Secretary or any other 
officer of the Board duly authorized by the Chairperson in this behalf. 
 
(3) The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall not be less than one half of the total 
membership of the Board. 
(4)  The decision of the Board shall be taken by the majority of its members present and, in 
case of a tie, the member presiding the meeting shall have a casting vote. 
10.  Annual reports of the Board.—(1) The Board shall prepare an annual report on the access 
of media to deaf persons and shall lay the report before each House of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament). 
(2)  The Board may at arty time submit special report, before each House of Majlis -e-Shoora, 
on any matter which, in its opinion, is of such urgency or importance that it should not be deferred till 
submission of the annual report. 
 
(3)  The Board shall assist the Government in preparation of its periodic report  in accordance 
with international declarations, conventions, treaties, covenants and agreements relating to the access 
of media to deaf persons. 
11. Funds of the Board .—(1) There shall  be established by the Government a fund to be 
known as the access of media to deaf persons fund, which shall vest in the Board and shall be used by 
the Board to meet charges in connection with its functions under this Act. 
(2)  The sources of the Fund, amongst other moneys, may be the following, namely:— 
 
(a)    such fund as the Government shall allocate each year as a non - 
lapsable grant in annual budget of the fund; 
(b)    such voluntary donations, contributions o r subscriptions as be made  
by Provincial Governments; 
 
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(c)    donations, if any, made by private individuals, national and  
international natural and juristic persons; 
(d)    income from investment by the Board as may be prescribed; and 
(e)    all other sums or properties or assets which may in any manner  
become payable to or vest in the Board in respect of any matter. 
(3) The Board shall, while performing its functions and e xercising its powers under this Act, 
ensure highest sense of prudence in respect of expenditures incurred from the Fund. 
(4)  The Fund shall be expended for the purposes of access of media to deaf persons and for 
such other activities which fall within purview of the Board. 
(5)   The Board may invest money from the Fund in accordance with instructions of the 
Government. 
12.  Accounts and audit of Board. —(l) The Board shall maintain proper accounts and other 
relevant records and prepare an annual statement of accounts in such form as may be prescribed by 
the Government. 
(2)  The Secretary of the Board shall be the Principal Accounting Officer of the Board and the 
accounts of the Board shall be audited by the Auditor General at such intervals as may be specified by 
him. 
(3) The accounts of the Board, as certified by the Auditor General or any other person 
appointed in his behalf, together with the audi t report thereon shall be forwarded annually to the 
Government by the Board and the Government shall cause the audit report to be laid, as soon as may 
be after it is received, before each House of the Parliament. 
 
13.  Power of the Government to issue dire ctives.—The Government may, as and when it 
considers necessary, issue  directives to the Board on matters of policy and such directives shall be 
binding on the Board and if a question arises as to whether any matter is a matter of policy or not, the 
decision of the Government thereon shall be final. 
14.  Returns  or  information. —The  Board  shall  furnish  to  the Government such returns 
or other information with respect to its activities as the Government may, from time to time, require. 
15. Offences.— (1) Any  broadcast  media, house,  person,  national broadcaster, media, state, 
private run media, private television channels, Cable TV or any other broadcast media violates or abets 
to violate any of th e provision of this Act shall be guilty of an offence u nder this Act and shall be 
punished with fine which may extend to twenty thousand rupees per day but shal l not be below three 
thousand rupees per day. 
(2)  In case of continuous violation of more than six months, shall be punished with 
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine which shall 
not be below one hundred thousand rupees per month or both. 
16.  Power to make rules. — Within two months of the commencement of this Act, the 
Government shall, in consultation with the Authority and by notification in the official Gazette, make 
rules to carryout purposes of this Act. 
17.  Power to make regulations. —The Authority with the ap proval of the Board, may by 
notification in the official Gazette, make regulations for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 
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18.  Power to remove difficulties and doubts. —If any difficulty or doubt arises in giving 
effect to the provisions of this Act, the Government may, by order in writing published in the official 
Gazette, make such provision as may appear to it to be necessary for removing the difficulty or doubt: 
Provided that no order shall be made under this section after expiry of a period of three  years 
from commencement of this Act. 
19. Act to override other laws. —The provisions of this Act shall have overriding effect not 
withstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
RGN- Dated.22-10-2025