Pakistan’s Senate approved a bill, which gives powers to the government against spreading wrong information on social media. Opposition and human rights groups have criticized this, while the government considers it an essential step to prevent the spread of misinformation.
Pakistan’s Senate on Tuesday approved a bill, which gives powers to the government against spreading misinformation on social media. The bill is now waiting for the signature of President Asif Ali Zardari, which is expected to support it.
This amendment is made in Pakistan’s Electronic Crime Prevention Act (PECA), which aims to prevent ‘illegal and objectionable’ content on social media.
Strict punishment against those who spread wrong information
- Under this new bill, the government will get the right to punish social media users for spreading wrong information. Officers will be allowed to set up an agency, which will be responsible for blocking objectionable content on social media.
- This law will take strict action on the criticisms of judges, armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies. Violations may have material ban, fine or jails up to three years.
Opposition and human rights groups criticized
- The opposition has opposed the passage of this bill. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari condemned it as an attack on freedom of expression and said to challenge it in court.
- Human rights organizations and international monitoring institutions have expressed concern over the bill. Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International has warned that the bill can further suppress dissatisfaction in Pakistan’s digital space.
Government rescue
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government defends this law and considers it an essential step to prevent the spread of misinformation. Critics believe that this is another action against media and digital independence in Pakistan.
