Islamabad:
The journalists exploded on Tuesday in protest throughout the country after the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) managed of the upper house.
The National Assembly has already approved the bill that, if promulgated, can effectively wood the media.
On Tuesday, PML-N senator, Rana Tanveer Hussain, presented the bill in a Senate session, chaired by vice president Syedaal Khan in the middle of a protest of opposition legislators.
Going home, Hussain said that no law or amendment is immutable and can be changed. “The Breach bill is for social media platforms, not for electronic or periodic means, with the aim of regulating civil society in a way that avoids misuse of social networks,” he said.
Opposition members, however, started copies of the bill in the middle of chaos in the chamber.
The leader of the opposition senator, Shibli Faraz, said his party, the PTI, does not support the bill. He said no one supports the dissemination of false news, but criticized the defective procedure adopted to approve the bill. There is a lack of institutions, judges and lawyers necessary to handle cases related to false news, he said.
Senator Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Kamran Murtaza complained that his amendments to the Bill bill were not approved or rejected by the pertinent committee. He called the Incomplete Permanent Committee report.
Later, the Chamber approved the bill in the midst of a protest of opposition members.
During the approval of the bill, journalists also left the press gallery of the Senate in protest, together with the PPP senator, Sherry Rehman, who heard their complaints.
Later, journalists organized a protest march from the National Press Club de Islamabad to D-Chowk. Lawyers and civil society representatives also actively participated in the protest.
To prevent journalists from arriving at Parliament, a strong police contingent was deployed and barriers were erected with spike wire. However, the journalists managed to cross the barriers and reached the doors of D-Chowk, where they organized a sitting.
Directing the meeting, the president of the Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) of Pakistan (PFUJ), AFZAL BUTT, described the bill as a ‘black law’. He said the Government approved the bill without consulting the media, the most significant interested party.
“This law is an attempt to suppress the voice of the media. Our movement against this draconian law has begun and will continue until its repeal,” he said.
The joint action committee of the media agencies organized a demonstration of protest also in front of the Karachi Press Club in response to an appeal of the PFUJ against the bill of the Peca amendment.
Representatives of several media organizations, civil society groups, unions, groups of lawyers and teachers joined and supported the protest.
Prominent figures, including journalists, media owners, editors and workers of organizations such as PFUJ, the union of journalists of Karachi (Kuj), the Broadcasos Association of Pakistan (PBA), the Council of Pakistan newspapers (CPNE), and others approached the board approach. protesters.
“The government has to learn the lessons, since it was previously used against the same party, which had approved the law in a hurry,” said Mazhar Abbas, a leading member of Pfuj.
Mazhar Abbas characterized the situation as a “civil martial law.” He urged the joint action committee to advocate for the repeal of Peca, stating that they would not compromise their rights.
Azhar Abbas asked the unit among media organizations to demonstrate the collective force to the government. The representative of the PBA, Qazi Ather, reaffirmed the commitment to safeguard the freedom of the press, stating that they would not allow their voices to be suppressed.
The Karachi Bar Association Council also issued a statement condemning the bill, describing it as it includes regressive amendments that constitute an assault on fundamental freedoms.
Peca, a law promulgated in 2016 during the PML-N rule, aimed to address cybercrime and regulate electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to combat online crimes such as piracy, data theft and cyberbullying. The law was continuously modified by subsequent governments.
However, this time, the PML-N government has tried RS2 million.
It stipulates sanctions for sharing content expelled from the records of the Assemblies of the National Assembly, the Senate and the Provincial Assemblies on social networks. The amended bill expands the definition of illegal content, including issues related to religion, national security, public order and contempt of court.
It also criminalizes activities such as inciting crime or terrorism, disseminating defamatory reports against constitutional institutions, blackmail and defamation. The illegal content also includes pornography, copyright and material violations that undermines peace and morals or promotes criminal activities.
The bill expands the definition of social media platforms to include tools, software, websites, applications and communication channels used for access to social networks.
One of the key provisions of the new amendments is the establishment of the Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), which will have the authority to eliminate the prohibited content and take measures against people who share such material.
The authority will also supervise the regulation of social media platforms and has been given the power to enforce compliance through directives and sanctions.
The bill also proposes the dissolution of the wing of cyber crimes of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), with their responsibilities that are transferred to the newly established National Agency for Cyber Crime Research.
