The administrator of a WhatsApp group in Pakpattan was arrested on Friday for allegedly violating the 2016 Electronic Crime Prevention Law (PECA) by allowing an insulting publication to be shared in the group aimed at the main minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz.
According to a first informative report (FIR) dated Thursday, to which you have access Dawn.comA WhatsApp group was created and uploaded to a publication group in which the main minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz was insulted, and “obscene language” was used.
The suspect “deliberately uploaded an immoral and insulting publication on social networks, while the [group admin]Knowing that this publication was immoral, offensive and illegal, he did not eliminate it, but gave the opportunity to other members of the group to see the publication, ”the FIR read, claiming that the administrator was trying to“ sow the chaos between the public ” . ”
A case was recorded against the suspect and the group administrator under section 20 (crimes against the dignity of a natural person) of Peca and Section 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Criminal Code.
Meanwhile, the Pakpattan district police officer, Javed Chaddar, issued a statement confirming the arrest of the group’s administrator in “the first case registered under the PCA law in Pakpattan”.
“A suspect published a malicious and insulting publication against Punjab Prime Minister in the WhatsApp group,” said Dpo Chaddar. “The group administrator has been arrested.”
According to the statement, the DPO realized the publication once it went viral on social networks and ordered the Farid Nagar Police to locate and arrest the group administrator and the suspicious user who uploaded the publication.
“More investigations are being carried out,” the statement concluded.
Peca, since its introduction in 2016, has been widely criticized as a black law created mainly to punish dissent. In the eight years since its promulgation, it has been widely used against politicians, journalists, human rights activists and even common political workers.
The National Assembly on Thursday approved a controversial bill of amendment to the laws on cyber crimes in the country in the middle of a strike of legislators and journalists of the PTI of the process.
Thursday’s bill proposed a new provision, section 26 (a), to penalize the authors of “fake news” online, which said: “who intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any system Information, to know or have reasons to do so, it is false or false and that it can cause or create a feeling of fear, panic or disorder or discomfort in the general public or in society will be punished with imprisonment that can extend up to three years or with a fine that can extend to 2 million rupees or with both ”.
