Cybercrime law given fangs to bite media – Newspaper

• Amendments to Peca sail through Senate amid protests from opposition, journalists
• PTI leader says legislation will increase political victimisation; ANP sees hand of powers that be behind controversial tweaks
• Minister claims bill only aimed at social media as journalists stage walkout
• Digital Nation Bill, slew of measures to combat human trafficking also passed

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday okayed highly contested changes to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), without allowing any amendments to be moved, amid protests by the opposition and a walkout by journalists from the press gallery.

The controversial legislation is all set to become law and, since it has already been passed by the National Assembly, only requires the assent of President Asif Ali Zardari.

On Tuesday, Industries and Production Minister Rana Tanveer tabled the bill in the Senate on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi. However, the opposition’s protest against the law started before the bill was moved.

Opposition members chanting slogans against the enactment of “black laws” gathered near the chairman’s podium, throwing torn-up copies of the agenda as Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar moved a motion seeking leave of the House to take the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill for immediate consideration.

Amid slogans of “down with black laws” and “Peca amendments not acceptable”, ANP chief Aimal Wali Khan came close to Kamran Murtaza, who was proposing amendments to the digital nation bill, to take advantage of the open mike to condemn what he called curbs on the freedom of expression. He regretted that the stakeholders had not been consulted over the bill and said one could smell ‘boots and uniform’ behind the legislation.

Law Minister Tarar had to explain that the Peca tweaks were yet to come before the house, but that did not deter protests against the controversial bill.

Opposition leader Syed Shibli Faraz, who was given the floor before the bill was moved, said the amendments aimed to “target a specific political party”.

He feared that political victimisation would increase after the passage of the controversial bill as it would open the doors for arresting people in the name of its violation. The chair did not allow the PTI parliamentary leader in the house to move amendments to the bill, saying the amendments were required to be submitted two days in advance.

Meanwhile, replying to Senator Faraz after the bill’s passage, the industries minister said the bill was specifically for social media and had nothing to do with print and electronic media.

He also said that the bill was not set in stone and amendments could be brought to improve it. As the bill was introduced, journalists in the Senate’s press gallery also staged a walkout in protest whereas the PTI-led opposition staged a token walkout.

During an interaction with journalists in the media lounge, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman reiterated her party’s support for media freedom and freedom of expression. “The PPP has always stood by the media and freedom of speech,” the senator said, adding, “We do not want the media to be silenced.”

“In the next session, we must introduce new amendments to safeguard citizens’ rights and media freedom, regardless of whether the bill is passed,” she added. It may be noted that the PPP voted in favour of the controversial amendments.

The Senate also approved the ‘Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024, while rejecting all four amendments moved by JUI-F’s Kamran Murtaza. The bill was moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on behalf of IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja.

Three other bills to amend existing laws were introduced in the House by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on behalf of the interior minister.

These included the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Amendment Bill 2025, the Prevention of Traffic­k­ing in Persons Amendment Bill 2025, and the Emigration Amendment Bill 2025.

FBR vehicles

Later, Senator Faisal Vawda, while speaking on his calling attention notice, raised alarm over FBR’s decision to procure 1,010 vehicles for field operations.

He said that an automobile company had been awarded a “tailor-made contract” for the supply of vehicles while bypassing the required procedures.

He said official vehicles were only allowed for grade 20 and above officers, not for the officers below these grades.

He said they were informed that the cabinet had given formal approval to this procurement.

“The cabinet had also given approval in the £190 million case and they are facing jail, which is the fate of this case,” he quipped while referring to the conviction of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Senator Abdul Qadir said the country was facing bigger problems than the procurement of the FBR vehicles and claimed that the prime minister himself had visited the Customs House in Karachi and said that corruption to the tune of Rs1,500 billion was committed there annually.

Law Minister Tarar said that these vehicles were only meant for field officers of grades 17 and 18 to enhance the collection of sales tax and prevent tax theft. He said tracker-fitted vehicles with the FBR logo were being purchased in light of their demand for field operations.

“Vehicles are needed for on-spot inspections of factories to assess the actual sales tax, which was not possible while sitting in offices,” he said, adding that the board had analysed that there was a gap of Rs3,000 billion in the sales tax collection, which could be enhanced through better monitoring.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025