The Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) of Pakistan requested on Friday to a greater expansion of its national protests against the amendments to the 2016 Electronic Crimes Prevention Law that were recently approved.
The new provisions introduce harder sanctions, so the Government considers “false news”, the expansion of the state supervision of digital platforms and the creation of new regulatory bodies to monitor social networks.
President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday gave his consent to the Peque amendments despite the general reaction of political parties, journalist organizations and human rights organizations.
The PFUJ announced a “black day” today in protest of the law. The journalists carried black bracelets when the demonstrations took place throughout Pakistan today, while the main event was held at the National Press Club (NPC).
The main journalists and the leaders of several journalists described the amendment, a “draconian and black law” destined to remove the right of expression of journalists and the public.
Pfuj President Afzal Butt, Naseem Zahra, Ali Raza Alvi, Gharida Farooqui, Nayyer Ali, Sami Ibrahim, Matiullah Jan, Mubarak Zeb and others spoke on the NPC.
“Those who are currently in power want [hold on to it forever]and approved the law to suppress journalists [so that] No one can ask questions about their misdeeds, ”said Zahra.
He added that no one was taken on board while this “black law” passed, whose sole purpose was to paralyze “journalism already destroyed in Pakistan.”
According to Farooqui, the demonstrations were for “real independence and freedom of expression” and encouraged journalists to join in this cause.
She said that the law was an attempt to “silence the voices of the entire journalistic community” and the public, particularly young people, which included 70 percent of the country.
The Secretary of the APN, Nayyer Ali, echoed Farooqui’s feelings of all the journalists who were on the same page that met throughout the country against the amendment.
She said that journalists had rejected this law when it was promulgated in 2016 and continued to oppose, since it took the fundamental right of citizens to freedom of expression and was a “violation of human rights.”
Senior journalist Sami Ibrahim said it was time to move forward and remain united in this cause, otherwise, it would be a “mass loss” for journalists in the future.
Matiullah Jan described the Peque amendment a state policy aimed at eliminating Pakistan journalism and silencing voices. He said that those who came to power in 2018 and 2023 “on the shoulders of the establishment” were those who passed “this draconian law”, adding that the State was “against journalism.”
He called the bodies of journalists who decide whether to welcome politicians to preside clubs or boycot them completely, since politicians “could not move a single inch” without the support of journalists.
Butt thanked all the bodies of journalists for celebrating demonstrations and observing the call for a “black day.” The president of Pfuj said the movement would continue until the government withdrew the law and allowed journalists to perform their professional duties.
LHC issues notices about challenging sin amendments
Early on the day, the Superior Court of Lahore issued notices about a petition that defies the bill for the prevention of electronic crimes (amendment) 2025.
The request against the bill, a copy of which it is available with Dawn.comIt was presented on Wednesday against LHC by journalist Jaffar Ahmad Yar through lawyer Nadeem Sarwar. He said the bill was hurriedly approved without considering the opinions of the relevant stakeholders.
Upon listening to today’s request, Judge Farooq Haider rejected the request of the petitioners to immediately suspend the implementation of several provisions of the Peque amendments.
He said that a decision on the declaration will be made once the parties have submitted their position.
Judge Haider also asked all the parties to respond within three weeks and issued notices.
The petition appointed the Pakistan Federation through the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of IT and the Telecommunications Authority of Pakistan (PTA) as respondents.
He provided several arguments to affirm that sections 2R (H), 2R (2) and 2 (V), which were inserted into the PCA laws, were against the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution. In addition, he affirmed that section 26a, which provides the punishment for disseminating “false and false information”, failed the “proof of principle of proportionality.”
The petitioner, therefore, urged the court to declare that these provisions are “unconstitutional to be inconsistent with articles 2-A, 9, 19, 19-A and 175 of the Constitution.”
He also requested that until the final provision of the main request, the trial and procedures are linked to the result of the declaration.
Critics see legislation as a tool to suppress dissent and silence critical voices, while the government insists that it is necessary to combat misinformation.
Amnesty International warned last week that the recently proposed changes to the country’s cyber crime laws could “further adjust government control over the strongly controlled digital panorama of Pakistan” if promulgated in the law.
“The vague and ambiguous framework of some elements of the offense along with a story that the sin is used to silence the dissent raises concerns that this new crime will cool to the little that remains of the right to expression online in the country “, according to the statement. .
Journalists have assaulted legislation as an “attack on freedom of expression”, while the PTI accused the PPP, an ally of the ruling coalition, of hypocrisy, hitting their support for the bill.
