The National Assembly on Thursday passed a controversial bill amending the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists from the process.
The latest draft changes to cybercrime laws, seen by dawn.com and titled “Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025”, was introduced in the National Assembly a day ago by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and referred to the standing committee.
Journalists today staged a strike from the press gallery protesting the passage of the bill after it was introduced by Federal Minister for Industry and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.
Lawmakers from the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl also opposed the bill.
PTI lawmakers had earlier walked out of the proceedings after protesting against the jailing of party founder Imran Khan and saying they would not allow the house proceedings to go ahead.
The invoice, a copy of which is available with dawn.comproposes to Peca a new provision, Article 26(A), to penalize the authors of “fake news” online, which reads: “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly displays or transmits any information through any information system, which knows or has reason to believe that it is false or false and that it may cause or create a feeling of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in the general public or in society will be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with a fine which may extend to 2 million rupees or with both.”
It also proposes the establishment of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, which would perform a variety of functions related to social media, such as education, awareness, training, regulation, enlistment, blocking and more.
He said anyone “aggrieved by false and false information” could approach the authority to remove or block access to the content in question, adding that the authority would issue orders no later than 24 hours after the request.
The changes propose that the authority could require any social media platform to register on it in any manner and on payment of such fee as may be prescribed.
He added that, in addition to the requirements of the law, additional conditions or requirements could also be stipulated that are considered appropriate when contracting a social media platform.
The bill stated that the authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform to remove or block online content if it was against the ideology of Pakistan, etc.; incited the public to violate the law, take the law into their own hands, with a view to coercing, intimidating or terrorizing the public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions; incited the public or a section of the public to cause damage to government or private property; coerced or intimidated the public or a section of the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life; incited hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic grounds to incite violence or provoke internal unrest; contained anything obscene or pornographic in violation of any applicable law; it was known to be false or there were sufficient reasons to believe that it could be false or false beyond a reasonable doubt; contained defamations against any person, including members of the judiciary, the armed forces, parliament or a provincial assembly; or promoted and encouraged terrorism and other forms of violence against the State or its institutions.
The bill also proposes that any part of parliamentary or provincial assembly proceedings that have been ordered removed shall not be broadcast or made available for viewing on social media platforms in any manner, with every effort being made to publish an account just of the procedures.
“Statements from proscribed organizations or their representatives or members thereof shall not be broadcast or available for viewing on social media platforms in any manner,” the changes propose.
They further said that social media platforms would maintain an effective and transparent procedure for handling complaints about illegal or offensive online content, adding that they would also provide users with an easily recognizable, directly accessible and permanently available procedure for lodging complaints about online content. illegal or offensive. .
The bill further proposes constitution of a Social Media Complaints Council to receive and process complaints filed by aggrieved parties against violation of any provision of the cybercrime law.
The changes said that in case of any violation, the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority would approach the Social Media Protection Tribunal, which would decide all cases within 90 days.
More to follow.
