Journalists, activists rally against Pakistani law to regulate social media

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Updated 29 January 2025
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Journalists, activists rally against Pakistani law to regulate social media

  • Bill proposes Social Media Regulatory Authority to block illegal content, with disinformation punishable by up to three years in prison, $7,000 fine
  • Government officials say the law will not affect working journalists or mainstream media, only those spreading ‘fake news’ on online platforms

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani journalists and rights activists on Tuesday described a new law passed by both houses of parliament and aimed at regulating social media content as an attack on freedom of expression, with hundreds of journalists and activists protesting against the legislation in the federal capital and other cities. 

The law, which amends the much-criticized Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in 2016, would establish the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority to perform a range of functions related to social media, including being able to order the immediate blocking of unlawful content targeting judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies or material that promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. The authority would have its own investigation agency and tribunals. Those found to have disseminated false or fake information face prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200).

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) led rallies in cities including Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore on Tuesday to demand the government withdraw the bill, which has been passed by the National Assembly and Senate but has yet to be signed into law by the president.

“We do not accept this amendment bill … this law curtails our freedom of press and freedom of expression,” PFUJ secretary general Nasir Zaidi told Arab News at the protest in Islamabad.

“This is the darkest day in the history of journalism and the history of freedom of journalists, against which we are protesting.”

Zaidi explained that the new law would establish four regulatory authorities for social media platforms, digital platforms and even electronic media.

Journalist and anchorwoman Asma Shirazi blamed the government for bulldozing the legislation through the parliament without consulting stakeholders. 

“We all agree that there should be some legislation [to curb fake news] but the stakeholders must be taken on board and they must be consulted in the legislation formation,” she told Arab News.

Usama Khilji, a director at Bolo Bhi, a digital rights advocacy forum, said the law posed a threat to Pakistani citizens, especially journalists and social media users who expressed their views online. 

“Four new bodies related to social media, including a tribunal and an authority, are all appointed by the government and the government can fire the chairperson at any point [under new law],” Khilji said. “What we also see is a three-year jail term for sharing false or fake information but that is a very broad and vague definition.”

Khilji said the law granted regulatory authorities the power to block entire social media platforms legally. 

“The broad powers that have been given will have a far-ranging impact,” he said.

Khilji also said the new law risked Pakistan’s GSP plus trade status with the European Union, under which it gets preferential access to markets for implementing international conventions on human rights, labor rights, environmental protection, and good governance.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, who moved the bill, said the law would not apply to TV channels or newspapers but only to “miscreants” spreading false news on social media platforms.

“Even the opposition during their speeches in the house essentially acknowledged the need for the PECA law,” he said. “They admitted that there is a lot of filth online that needs to be addressed.”

Information Minister Ataullah Tarar told reporters after the passage of the bill by the lower house of parliament last week that it would not apply to “working journalists”: 

“This is the first time the government has defined what social media is. There is already a system in place for print and electronic media and complaints can be registered against them.”

The information minister said the law had to be passed because the Federal Investigation Agency, previously responsible for handling cybercrime, “does not have the capacity to handle child pornography or AI deep fake cases.”

Tarar added that the government was also aiming to bring social media journalists, including those operating YouTube accounts, under the tax framework.

The operative part of the new bill outlines that the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform for the removal or blocking of online content if it was against the ideology of Pakistan, incited the public to violate the law or take the law in own hands with a view to coerce, intimidate or terrorize the public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions, incited the public to cause damage to governmental or private property or coerced or intimidated the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life.

The authority will also crackdown on anyone inciting hatred and contempt on a religious, sectarian or ethnic basis as well as against obscene or pornographic content and deep fakes. 

Rights activists say the new bill is part of a widespread digital crackdown that includes a ban on X since February last year, restrictions on VPN use and the implementation of a national firewall. 

The government denies the measures are aimed at censorship.


Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to form committee to produce joint films, songs and documentaries

Updated 4 sec ago
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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia to form committee to produce joint films, songs and documentaries

  • Pakistan’s information attends fourth edition of Saudi Media Forum in Riyadh 
  • Islamabad, Riyadh stress on collaborating to combat misinformation, propaganda

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have agreed to form a joint committee to produce songs, films and documentaries, Pakistan’s information ministry said on Wednesday, as the two countries aim to foster stronger ties in the media industry. 

Pakistan’s Information Minister Ataullah Tarar met Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary in Riyadh as he attended the fourth edition of the Saudi Media Forum. 

The event brings together over 200 leading media professionals, innovators and thought leaders from across the world. This year’s edition is taking place under the “Media in an Evolving World” theme and will run from Wednesday to Friday.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agree to form a joint committee for joint productions, songs, films and documentaries,” Pakistan’s information ministry said. 

“The meeting also focused on enhancing cooperation in various sectors including the exchange of journalists and training programs.”

The ministry said discussions between the two ministers focused on strengthening media relations and enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in promoting regional peace and stability.

Tarar and Al-Dossary also emphasized the importance of collaborating to combat misinformation and propaganda, the statement said, adding that Tarar reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The Pakistani minister said Islamabad’s brotherly ties with Riyadh were transforming into an economic partnership. He said relations between the two countries were growing stronger with each passing day. 

Al-Dossary said several Pakistanis were playing an important role in Saudi Arabia’s development, the information ministry said. 

“Promoting cooperation with Pakistan in all sectors, including information, is our priority,” Al-Dossary was quoted as saying by Pakistan’s information ministry. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are close regional partners and economic allies. Both countries signed 34 agreements worth $2.8 billion in October last year. 

The Kingdom is also home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top destination for remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.


New Zealand hand Pakistan mammoth 321-run target in Champions Trophy opener

Updated 5 min 32 sec ago
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New Zealand hand Pakistan mammoth 321-run target in Champions Trophy opener

  • Will Young, Tom Latham hit centuries to guide New Zealand to 320-5 in Karachi
  • Fast bowler Naseem Shah was the best Pakistan bowler, returning figures of 2-63 

KARACHI: Will Young and Tom Latham hit sparkling centuries to guide New Zealand to 320-5 on Wednesday in the opening match of the Champions Trophy, marking Pakistan’s first international tournament in three decades.
Tom Latham hit an unbeaten 104-ball 118 while opener Young scored 107 from 113 balls as New Zealand — sent in to bat by Pakistan — made the most of a flat National Stadium pitch.
The eight-nation event was launched with country’s Air Force flying over the stadium to mark the occasion as thousands of fans, including President Asif Zardari, took their seats on a historic day.
On the field, Young and Latham revived the innings from 73-3 with a 118-run fourth wicket stand, helping their team overcome the early loss of Devon Conway (10), Kane Williamson (1) and Daryl Mitchell (10).
Young hit 12 boundaries and a six in his fourth one-day international century before holing out to Naseem Shah in the 38th over.
Latham and Glenn Phillips, who made an aggressive 39-ball 61, gave the innings more impetus as New Zealand smashed 113 in the last 10 overs and 64 in the last five.
Latham hit 10 boundaries and three sixes in his eighth one-day hundred while Phillips’s robust knock had four sixes and three boundaries.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah was the best Pakistan bowler with 2-63 but fellow pacers Haris Rauf finished with 2-83 and Shaheen Afridi conceded 68 in 10 wicket-less overs each.


Gunmen shoot dead policeman guarding Pakistan polio team

Updated 19 min 1 sec ago
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Gunmen shoot dead policeman guarding Pakistan polio team

  • Two motorcycle riders open fire on police officer in northwestern Bajaur district, say police
  • Militants have attacked vaccination teams, police guarding them over the years in Pakistan

PESHAWAR: Gunmen shot dead a Pakistan police officer guarding a polio vaccination team on Wednesday in a remote area close to the Afghan border, police said.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio is endemic and militants have for decades targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts.
Polio has resurged in Pakistan, with two cases reported so far this year, and at least 73 polio infections last year, compared to six in 2023.
"Two motorcycle riders opened fire... as a result, the police officer died on the spot, but the polio team remained unharmed," Niaz Muhammad, a police officer in Bajaur district, told AFP.
Bajaur district in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province shares a 52-kilometre (32-mile) border with Afghanistan.
The start of the polio campaign had been delayed in the district for security reasons, after a rise in militant attacks in the area, said Waqas Rafiq, a senior police official.
"Despite the attack, the campaign continues in all areas (of the district) except the site of the incident," he said.
Polio mostly affects children under five and sometimes causes lifelong paralysis but can easily be prevented by the oral administration of a few drops of vaccine.
Over the past decade, hundreds of police officers and health workers have been killed by militants waging an offensive against the Pakistani state.
In the past, firebrand clerics falsely claimed the vaccine contained pork or alcohol, forbidding it for consumption by Muslims.
A fake vaccination campaign organised by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Pakistan in 2011 to track Osama bin Laden compounded the mistrust.
Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic uptick in attacks in its remote border regions since the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad claiming hostile groups plan their attacks from Afghan soil.
The Taliban government denies the claim.
It comes as the Champions Trophy cricket tournament kicked off in Pakistan on Wednesday, with the hosts and seven international teams visiting Rawalpindi, Karachi and Lahore under improved security.


Pakistan rejects Kabul’s ‘misplaced’ allegations of mistreating Afghan refugees

Updated 19 February 2025
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Pakistan rejects Kabul’s ‘misplaced’ allegations of mistreating Afghan refugees

  • Afghanistan on Wednesday accused Pakistani authorities of subjecting Afghans to arrest, searches in Islamabad, Rawalpindi
  • Pakistan urges Afghanistan to create “conducive conditions” in its country to fully integrate Afghan nationals repatriated

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Wednesday rejected allegations by the Afghan chargé d’affaires that Islamabad was mistreating Afghan refugees in the country, describing them as “misplaced” and calling on Kabul to ensure its nationals’ smooth repatriation.
Pakistan’s response comes a few hours after the Afghan embassy in Islamabad issued a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, saying Afghan nationals in Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi have been subjected to arrests, searches and orders from the police to leave the twin cities and relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
Islamabad launched a deportation drive in 2023 mainly targeting Afghan nationals after a spike in suicide bombings which the Pakistan government, without providing evidence, says were carried out by Afghan nationals. Islamabad has also blamed them for smuggling, militant violence and other crimes.
The Afghan embassy said Pakistan’s foreign ministry has confirmed that there is a “definitive and final plan” to deport all Afghan refugees from the entire country in the near future. Pakistan has so far deported over 800,000 Afghan nationals since it launched the deportation drive in 2023.
“We have noted the remarks made by the Afghan Charge d’ Affaires in Islamabad, about Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” the foreign office said.
“His assertions regarding mistreatment of Afghan nationals are misplaced,” the ministry added.
It said that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades “with respect and dignity” with little support from the international community. 
The foreign office said Islamabad began its deportation drive against illegal immigrants in 2023 and put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure that no one is mistreated or harassed during the repatriation process.
It said Pakistani authorities extensively engaged Afghanistan to ensure a smooth repatriation of Afghan nationals. 
“While Pakistan has done what it could, we expect interim Afghan authorities to create conducive conditions in Afghanistan so that these returnees are fully integrated in the Afghan society,” the foreign office said.
“The real test of Afghan authorities would be to ensure that the rights of these people about whom the Afghan Cd’A talked are protected in Afghanistan.”
Other than Afghan officials, international rights agencies have also expressed concerns over the alleged harassment of Afghan nationals by Pakistani law enforcement agencies. 
In January, Amnesty International expressed its concern over reports of arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers by law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.
Until the government initiated the expulsion drive in 2023, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees out of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures.
Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.


Pakistan says improving telecom services to increase IT exports, freelancers countrywide

Updated 19 February 2025
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Pakistan says improving telecom services to increase IT exports, freelancers countrywide

  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs Economic Advisory Council meeting in Islamabad
  • Rights activists, opposition accuse government of throttling Internet to suppress dissent 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that his government is undertaking efforts to improve telecommunication services and ensure Internet access in remote areas, his office said, adding that the move would increase IT exports and freelancers countywide. 
Pakistan’s government has been accused of stifling dissent by rights activists and the opposition with what they call restrictive measures. These include the blocking of social media platform X and the banning of virtual private networks (VPNs) last year. 
The government also confirmed its move to install a national firewall last year to regulate content online, saying its moves were aimed at regulating content online to make cyberspace safe for people. This caused Internet speeds to slow down considerably across the country, inviting criticism and anger from freelancers and IT experts. 
“We are working to increase the number of IT exports and freelancers in the country by improving telecommunication services and providing Internet access to remote areas,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 
The Pakistani premier was chairing a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council, an independent body that advises the prime minister on economic policies and affairs. 
Sharif praised his economic team for its efforts to ensure growth in the country, saying that his government is determined to work harder for sustainable economic development.
He said his economic team would take “full advantage” of Pakistan’s current potential for trade in the region and enable local industries to compete in the international market. 
“Development of industry, agriculture, IT, generating employment and increasing exports are among the top priorities of the government,” he said. 
Participants of the meeting said the country’s economy was heading toward economic stability, adding that Pakistan’s production had increased due to price stability, the PMO said. 
The PMO said that the meeting’s participants presented various suggestions to Sharif relating to various sectors.
“The prime minister directed relevant authorities to work with council members to formulate a comprehensive action plan regarding the suggestions,” the PMO said.