ISLAMABAD: A joint committee of Pakistani media bodies on Tuesday said it had suspended its dialogue with the government over a new social media law, as the legislation was challenged in a Pakistani court, local media reported.
The government recently introduced through an ordinance an amendment to section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which criminalizes sharing “defamatory” and “fake” content on social media but is widely viewed as a tool to silence critics of the government. The government denies this.
The new amendment increases the jail term for defaming any person or institution on social media from two years to five years, according to the Pakistani information minister. It makes it mandatory for courts to decide cases within six months, and has made the offense non-bailable.
A joint committee of Pakistani media bodies has taken a tough stance on the amendments and described the government’s engagement with the journalist bodies over the laws as a “farce,” the Express Tribune reported.
“The dialogue with the government over the legislation regarding media was being suspended ‘until the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are reversed’,” the report quoted the joint action committee (JAC) of media outlets as saying.
“The information minister [Chaudhry Fawad Hussain] is toying with the media fraternity in the guise of engagement and keeps passing ordinances against freedom of speech while giving the impression that media fraternity is being engaged.”
The JAC comprises All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND).
It said there was a grave trail of examples after an example where the information ministry was “tampering with freedom of speech, muzzling the journalists right to report, financially crippling media to influence journalism.”
“The fraternity had warned of this before and appealed to the PM previously as well that a dangerous trend had been emerging which is creating a distance between the government and the public as well as the media workers,” the statement said.
Hussain has not as yet commented on the remarks of the joint committee.
Meanwhile, the recently passed PECA Ordinance 2022 was challenged in the Lahore and Islamabad high courts on Tuesday, with the petitions claiming the ordinance was a “sheer violation” of not only the judgments passed by the apex court but also the Constitution of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) challenged the amendments in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), requesting the court to declare the ordinance “unconstitutional and null and void.”
PFUJ counsel Adil Uzair Qazi filed the petition that said the Constitution of Pakistan provided complete freedom of expression and while the world was decriminalizing defamation, the government was acting against journalists, SAMAA TV reported.
“One day after the Senate session, the government made amendments to the PECA law through an ordinance,” the petition read, according to the report.
“The government had already prepared the draft, they were just waiting for the session to end so they could circumvent the due legislative process.”
A meeting of the National Assembly could have been convened to amend the PECA Act, but the haste of the government showed its nefarious intentions, the PFUJ petition noted.
In the petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), petitioner Mohammad Ayub said the law was amended to save the government from its “illegal acts” and requested the court to declare the ordinance unlawful, as it was liable to be set aside in the supreme interest of justice, the Express Tribune reported.
The petition made the principal staff officer of President Arif Alvi, principal secretary of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs secretary, establishment secretary, establishment division, cabinet secretary, and the law and justice division secretary as the respondents.
Ayub stated the president promulgated PECA amendment ordinance with “mala fide intention and for ulterior motive” just to “harass and blackmail the opposition” as well as the public at large, which was against the scheme of law.
“The motive behind the promulgation of the impugned ordinance is a direct attack upon the independence of the judicial system as well as judges of constitutional jurisdiction,” the report quoted the petitioner as stating.
“Article 19 of the Constitution talks about the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Every citizen of Pakistan has the right to hold an opinion, the right to express them, and the right to speech. Hence this impugned ordinance is a sheer violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973.”
Ayub also cited proceedings of a case against journalist Mohsin Baig, who was arrested in a raid on his Islamabad residence after a dramatic scuffle on February 16.
On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a show-cause notice to the cybercrime wing of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the “misuse of power” in Baig’s case.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also disapproved the amendments to PECA and demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance.
Earlier, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Shehzada Zulfiqar said the new amendments were clearly aimed at suppressing the freedom of speech and press, which had already got setbacks over the last few years.
He said the new legislation would defame Pakistan, where the electronic media had already come under the control of the government. “The mainstream media has already been controlled by the government. It now wants to control the digital media,” Zulfiqar told Arab News.
He said the PFUJ was not against legislation to deal with the issue of “fake news,” but this should be done in consultation with the stakeholders and only after all agree to it.
Pakistani journalists suspend dialogue with government as new social media law challenged in court
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Pakistani journalists suspend dialogue with government as new social media law challenged in court
- Law makes defamation on social media non-bailable offense, increases jail term to 5 years
- Many view the legislation, passed through an ordinance, as a tool to silence critics of government
Saudi Arabia, UAE absorbed 77.5% of Pakistani expat workers in 2022 — economic survey
- More than 96% of Pakistani registered workers for overseas employment were in Gulf Cooperation Council countries in 2022
- As of December 2022, over 12.4 million Pakistanis used official procedures to travel abroad for employment in over 50 countries
KARACHI: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates alone absorbed more than 77.5 percent of total 829,549 Pakistani expat workers in 2022, according to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-23 released on Thursday.
The yearly flagship publication of the Ministry of Finance highlights the trend of macro-economic indicators and development policies and strategies, as well as sectoral achievements of the economy.
The survey revealed that as of December 2022, more than 12.4 million Pakistanis had used official procedures to travel abroad for employment in over 50 countries including 829,549 Pakistani who travel in 2022.
“More than 96 percent of Pakistani registered workers for overseas employment are in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,” the economic survey said.
“They are contributing to the development of Pakistan’s economy by sending remittances, which is the major source of foreign exchange after exports.”
Citing data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), the economic survey said more than 62 percent, or 514,725 Pakistanis workers, moved to Saudi Arabia followed by UAE, at 15.5 percent, to earn their livelihoods in 2022.
“Oman provided jobs to 82,380 or 9.9 percent and Qatar accommodated 57,984 or 7 percent Pakistani workers of different occupations,” the survey report said.
“Bahrain and Malaysia welcomed 13652 or 1.6 percent workers, and 6175 or 0.7 percent workers, respectively.”
The regional breakdown of those who traveled abroad during 2022 showed the highest number from Punjab (458, 241) followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (224,88) and Sindh (59,067).
The survey said Pakistan had developed a comprehensive diversification strategy developed for five top priority countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Qatar and Oman along with five potential and non-traditional countries such as Kuwait, South Korea, Japan, Germany and China to promote the export of manpower.
Pakistan wins seat on UN Economic and Social Council
- Pakistan has in the past served ten times on the economic and social work body
- It has served as the body’s president in 1952, 1957, 1975, 1995, 2005 and 2020
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was on Thursday elected to the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a three-year term beginning January 1, 2024, state-run APP reported on Thursday.
The Economic and Social Council, under the overall authority of the UN General Assembly, coordinates the economic and social work of the UN and the UN family of organizations. The ECOSOC is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, full employment, and economic and social progress, identifying solutions to international economic, social and health problems, facilitating international cultural and educational cooperation, and encouraging universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, said Pakistan’s election to the body was a recognition of “our positive role in international diplomacy.”
In balloting in the 193-member General Assembly, Pakistan received 129 votes. A two-third majority – 124 votes – was required for election.
“We’re very gratified at Pakistan’s success in an highly contested election. Our success is a recognition of Pakistan’s importance and its positive role in international diplomacy,” Akram said.
“We hope to play yet once again our active role in the forum of ECOSOC by fostering agreement on the structure and content of new, more dynamic and equitable structure of international economic cooperation.”
Others elected on the Asian seats are: Japan (127 votes) and Nepal (145 votes). Iraq, with 50 votes, and Tajikistan, with 120 votes, did not make it.
Pakistan has in the past served on the ECOSOC 10 times, and in the capacity as the 54-member body’s President six times in 1952, 1957, 1975, 1995, 2005 and 2020.
Pakistan says has ‘full trust’ in UAE’s Al-Jaber as COP28 president
- UAE, a major OPEC oil exporter, will be second Arab state to host the climate conference after Egypt in 2022
- Pakistan says the UAE had over the years demonstrated “strong commitment” to renewable energy sources
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday it had “full trust” in the nomination of Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE’s climate envoy and minister of industry and technology, as president of this year’s UN climate conference, COP28.
Al-Jaber's appointment to lead the climate summit this year fuelled activists' worries that big industry was hijacking the world's response to the global warming crisis.
The UAE, a major OPEC oil exporter, will be the second Arab state to host the climate conference after Egypt in 2022.
The UAE and other Gulf energy producers have called for a realistic energy transition in which hydrocarbons would keep a role in energy security while making commitments to decarbonisation.
“Pakistan has full trust that under the stewardship of H.E. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as President of COP28, we will be able to drive the global agenda on climate change in a positive direction decisively in December 2023,” the foreign office said.
“Pakistan believes that the United Arab Emirates’ Presidency of COP-28 is an opportunity for meaningful progress and effective global action on key areas to mitigate and reverse the negative impacts of climate change.”
The foreign office said the UAE had over the years demonstrated a “strong commitment” to renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, and through initiatives like the Masdar City project, the Abu Dhabi Clean Energy Strategy, the UAE Net Zero by 2050, and clean fossil fuels, the Emirates had made “substantial investments” in leading global efforts for achieving the goal and targets of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement.
The UAE has also manifested its commitment towards combating climate change by implementing several sustainable initiatives to mitigate climate change effects.
“For instance, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, one of the largest renewable energy projects globally, contributes to reducing carbon emissions,” the foreign office added.
“The UAE has also invested in sustainable agriculture, water conservation, and waste management, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to addressing various aspects of the climate crisis.”
Pakistan said UAE’s strategic location allowed it to play a key role in addressing climate change by serving as “a bridge between the global north and global south in fostering international cooperation, knowledge sharing, and innovation to find common solutions.”
Pakistan set for 0.29% GDP growth in FY23, well below target of 5%
- Finance minister says 0.29% GDP growth a “realistic achievement,” anything higher not achievable
- Fiscal deficit 4.6% of GDP for fiscal year up until April, slight improvement from last year’s 4.9 percent
KARACHI: Pakistan has missed its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target by 4.7 percent and is likely to post GDP growth of 0.29 percent in the fiscal year ending June 2023, well below the target of 5 percent set last year, according to the country's economic survey launched on Thursday.
This was revealed as Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presented the Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-23, a yearly flagship publication of the Ministry of Finance which highlights the trend of macro-economic indicators and development policies and strategies, as well as sectoral achievements of the economy.
Dar will present the annual budget document before parliament tomorrow, Friday.
Addressing a press conference, Dar called the outgoing year “a difficult year for the economy,” saying the coalition government faced “extreme challenges” when it came to power in April 2022.
Indeed, the country’s economy has suffered record high inflation and an economic slowdown compounded by devastating floods last year and a failure so far to unlock crucial finances from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF had demanded a number of prior actions from Pakistan, including reversing subsidies, a hike in energy and fuel prices, jacking up its key policy rate, a market-based exchange rate, arranging for external financing and raising over 170 billion rupees ($613 million) in new taxation.
The fiscal adjustments have already fuelled Pakistan's highest ever inflation, which hit 37.97% year-on-year in May, but the IMF has yet to release the $1.1 billion funding stalled since November as part of the $6.5 billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019.
“Pakistan has paid a huge political cost of meeting IMF reforms … the structural reforms, the power reforms, gas reforms, the fiscal reforms … we had to do the pending actions,” Dar told reporters.
“For Pakistan, this political cost was worth it … The revival of this [IMF] program was important because of Pakistan’s credibility.”
Dar said he was hopeful the 9th review of the program would be concluded soon.
“The first priority is to pay off sovereign debts, then food and pharmaceutical imports,” Dar said, adding that the government had repaid $6.5 billion in international commercial loans, with $1.0 billion of that amount being in the form of international Sukuk.
The Economic Survey document said the Pakistan economy lost momentum in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal year “due to the severe downturn in the global economy and flash floods of July-August 2022 and as a result the economy suffered from significant domestic supply disruptions.”
Pakistan estimated flood damage at Rs3.2 trillion ($14.9 billion) and loss to GDP at Rs3.3 trillion ($15.2 billion), and recorded the need for rehabilitation of damages at Rs3.5 trillion ($16.3 billion). On the international front, the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict had adversely affected global growth and inflation remained unexpectedly high, the document said.
The survey report revealed that agriculture sector growth remained 1.55 % as compared to 4.27% last year, industry posted negative growth at -2.94 % against 6.83% last year while manufacturing posted -3.91% against 10.86 % last year and wholesale and retail trade posted -4.46% as compared to 10.3% last year.
Average year-on-year inflation rate for the period up to May 2023 was recorded at 29.2 percent, the survey found.
In April and May, the country’s inflation hit record levels, which were also the highest in Asia.
The survey said Pakistan’s inflation had been driven by international commodity prices, global supply disruptions, flood damage to crops, currency depreciation, and political uncertainty in the country.
The fiscal deficit was 4.6 percent of GDP for the fiscal year up until April, a slight improvement from last year’s 4.9 percent, the survey showed, adding that the primary balance recorded a surplus of 99 billion Pakistani rupees.
Fresh challenge for ex-PM Khan as former associates announce new Pakistan political party
- Now estranged longtime Khan ally Jahangir Khan Tareen announces Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party flanked by other ex-associates
- Tareen’s announcement will fuel fire of widespread speculations that ‘king’s party’ was being primed as viable against Khan’s PTI
ISLAMABAD: Estranged associates of former Prime Minister Imran Khan came together on Thursday and announced setting up a new political party, the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party, creating a fresh challenge for the embattled ex-premier amid a widening crackdown.
The announcement of a new party by sugar baron Jahangir Khan Tareen, who was for over a decade Khan’s closest confidant but fell out with him in 2020, will add fuel to the fire of widespread speculation that a ‘king’s party’ was being primed as a viable alternative to Khan, whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is arguably the most popular political party in the country.
In Pakistan, the king’s party is a common euphemism for one favored by the all-powerful military.
Since being ousted from the PM’s office in a no-trust vote in April last year, Khan has launched an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military, which independent analysts say helped him rise and fall from power.
His tensions with the military reached a crescendo last month when Khan was arrested in a land fraud case on May 9, prompting violent nationwide protests in which rioters attacked an air base, military properties, including the army’s headquarters, and burnt a top general’s home. The military has since said it will punish the enactors and masterminds of the violence, including by trying them in military courts. The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has threatened to ban Khan’s PTI and dozens of his close associates and party members have announced quitting his party while hundreds of his supporters are under arrest.
“Today we are setting the foundations of a new party, the Istihkam-e-Pakistan Party,” Tareen announced at a press conference in which he appeared with some of Khan’s closest ex-aides, including Ali Haider Zaidi, Aleem Khan, Imran Ismail and Tanveer Ilyas.
“We have all gathered here today because we want to make a serious effort together to get Pakistan out of this quicksand of difficulties.”
Tareen, who was widely known as one of the main financiers of Khan’s party and seen as instrumental to his rise to the PM’s office in 2018, said he had joined the PTI to bring promised reforms to Pakistan.
“I was sure we would be able to use the platform of this [PTI] party to bring those reforms that Pakistan always needed and still needs,” Tareen said. “That’s why we worked day and night to make PTI a strong political force. All of the people sitting here were part of that struggle.”
He said people had voted for the PTI in 2018 because it had promised to fix the economy, improve foreign relations and above all, root out corruption and carry out accountability.
“But things did not go on as we had planned and people started to feel disillusioned,” Tareen said.
“Pakistan today needs a political leadership that eliminates social and political divisions. Our nation needs hope … our politics need a new face.”
Speaking about the violence that took place after Khan’s arrest on May 9, Tareen said it was his belief that Pakistan would plunge into chaos if those behind the actions were not punished.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Wednesday and seen as a reference to Khan, the army said it was time to tighten the “noose of law” against those who had masterminded the attacks of May 9.
In recent days, Khan has openly accused the military of trying to destroy his party, saying he has “no doubt” he will be tried in a military court and jailed as part of the army-backed crackdown on his party.
Responding for the first time to widespread accusations that the army was behind a crackdown against Khan, his party and its supporters and carrying out human rights violations, the military on Wednesday called this “fake news and propaganda” that it would defeat with the support of the Pakistani public:
“Unfounded and baseless allegations on Law Enforcement Agencies and Security Forces for custodial torture, human rights abuses and stifling of political activities are meant to mislead the people and malign Armed Forces in order to achieve trivial vested political interests.”
