Amnesty International has warned that if the law is enforced, the recent changes in the country’s cybercrime laws “can further tighten the government’s grip on Pakistan’s heavy -controlled digital landscape”.
The statement came after a controversial bill on Friday when a strong protest of the PTI -led opposition and a walkout by press gallery journalists to prevent the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in the Senate. A controversial bill was introduced to amend.
The latest draft of changes to the PECA law was approved by the National Assembly during a walkout by journalists on Thursday, who accepted it as a “attack on freedom of expression.” The Senate handed it over to the relevant Standing Committee yesterday.
A DescriptionBabu Ram Paint, Deputy Regional Director of the Campaigns for Amnesty’s South Asia Chapter, said: “The latest amendment to the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) prevention of the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) through the National Assembly. The grip of the renovation will be further tightened.
Paint noted that the amendment introduced a criminal offense against those who committed “so -called ‘false and fake information’ and imposed a maximum sentence of three years in prison with a fine.”
Amnesty Official, “The ambiguous and ambiguous structure of some elements of the crime, along with some elements of the crime, raises concerns that this new crime has left a bit of an online expression in the country.” Warning
He added that the legislation was “presented in the absence of any consultation or debate”, adding that he had “Pakistan Telecommunication Authority through the newly created social media regulation and protection authority. The available options are extended. “
Pant added, “These provisions give authorities the power to block and eliminate the content -based content, which will violate the right to freedom of expression and international human rights law. Under the proportion and the standard they need will fail. “
The Amnesty official also compared the proposed changes to the PECA with the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill approved by the NA on Thursday.
The purpose of this bill is to create digital identity for citizens – to centralize social, economic and governance data – and transform Pakistan into a digital nation, enable digital society, digital economy and digital governance.
“These developments are with the deployment of laws such as digital surveillance technologies and digital nations Pakistan Bill, which failed to include any human rights security measures,” said Pent.
He added that Amnesty called on the authorities to “withdraw the bill immediately and instead engage in a meaningful consultation process with civil society to amend the PECA so that it was international human rights.” Bring according to the law of the law. “
The proposed changes to the PECA
Section 26 (a) stated: “Whoever deliberately spreads any information through any information system, exhibits, or transmits, which he knows or is the reason It is likely to be false or fake and are likely to create or create a sense of fear, panic. Which can be up to 2 million rupees or both. “
The bill also suggests that dissolving the FIA’s cybercrime wing and setting up a new national cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate illegal activities on social media.
It suggests the establishment of a further social media protection and regulatory authority (SMPRA), which performs various social media -related functions such as education, awareness, training, regulation, entry, blocking and much more. Will
According to the bill, the chairman of the SMPRA will have the authority to immediately stop any illegal content on social media, while the authority will have the option to block the content that Pakistan. Conflict with the theory or incite citizens to break the law.
It will also be authorized to stop the illegal material targeting members of the judiciary, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies. Deleted content during parliamentary proceedings cannot be re -uploaded to social media.
The amendment also proposed the establishment of a social media complaint council. In cases where social media platforms fail to comply with the directive, the authority will have the option to approach the tribunal for implementation.
The federal government will also set up a social media protection tribunal to enforce the amended act provisions.
