The administrator of a WhatsApp group in Pakpattan was arrested on Friday for allegedly violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) by posting a derogatory post. Targeting an insulting post.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) dated Thursday, which has been seen by Dawn.coma post insulting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and using “foul language” was created and uploaded in a WhatsApp group.
The suspect “deliberately uploaded an indecent, insulting post on social media, while [group admin]knowing that the said post was unethical, offensive and illegal, did not delete it, but instead gave an opportunity to other members of the group, the FIR alleged that the admin “created chaos in the public”. Trying to spread. “.
A case was registered against the suspect and the group admin under Section 20 of PECA (offences against the dignity of a natural person) and Section 509 (causing outrage of decency or sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code. .
Meanwhile, Pakpattan District Police Officer Javed Chadar issued a statement confirming the arrest of the group admin in “the first case registered under the PECA Act in Pakpattan”.
“A suspect published a malicious and derogatory post against the Punjab Chief Minister in a WhatsApp group,” DPO Chadar said. “The group administrator has been arrested.”
According to the statement, the DPO took notice of the post once it went viral on social media and ordered the Faridnagar police to arrest the group admin and the suspected user who uploaded the post.
“Further investigation is ongoing,” the statement concluded.
PECA, since its introduction in 2016, has been widely criticized as a black law designed primarily to punish dissent. In the eight years since its implementation, it has been widely used against politicians, journalists, rights activists, and even ordinary political activists.
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists.
Thursday’s bill proposed a new provision to penalize perpetrators of “fake news” online, Section 26(a), which states: “Whoever knowingly through any information system Disseminates, publicly discloses, or transmits any information, which he knows or has reason to believe is false or false and causes fear, panic among the general public or the community or disorders or disturbances creates or is likely to create or shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to 2 million rupees or with both.”
