ISLAMABAD: The government plans to empower the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to act against anyone trying to spread “rumors and false information against state institutions” on social media, reported a local newspaper on Tuesday.
The FIA found itself in the eye of the storm earlier this year after President Arif Alvi approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2022, which increased jail terms for social media users convicted of disseminating “fake news,” causing uproar among civil society organizations and journalist bodies.
The new law was used by the FIA to arrest people under a section criminalizing “defamatory” and “fake” content on social media and was widely viewed as a tool to silence critics of the government.
The Islamabad High Court, however, decided to look into the issue and restrained the agency from making indiscriminate arrests.
According to Dawn newspaper, the federal cabinet recently approved a summary circulated by the interior ministry about making amendments to the schedule of the FIA Act of 1974.
“FIA has intimated that presently, social media is inundated with false information and rumors against state institutions and organizations with intent to cause or incite or which is likely to cause or incite any officer, solder, sailor or airman in army, navy, or air force of Pakistan to mutiny, offense or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such,” said a passage from the summary quoted by the newspaper.
It maintained such rumors and false information could spread fear or alarm in the public or compel an individual to commit offense against the state or public tranquility.
“FIA has added that these are likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offense against any other class or community,” the summary added.
Dawn reported the FIA told the government that such an offense was triable under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code, though it was not included in the schedule of the FIA Act. The agency requested the state’s approval to include it in its scheduled offenses.
The section, which deals with statements conducing to public mischief, is punishable with a prison term of seven years along with a financial penalty.
Pakistan to empower investigation agency to act against social media posts targeting state institutions
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Pakistan to empower investigation agency to act against social media posts targeting state institutions
- The Federal Investigation Agency says social media is ‘inundated’ with false information that can incite anyone to commit an offense
- The offense of making provocative statements to cause public mischief is punishable with a seven-year prison term along with a fine
Pakistan’s interim government advocates inclusive elections, calls for impartial state media coverage
- Murtaza Solangi says it is the responsibility of the caretaker government to create the right environment for transparent polls
- PM Kakar told international media on Friday it was possible to hold fair elections without ex-PM Khan who was facing legal action
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interim information minister Murtaza Solangi stressed the importance of unfettered political participation in the upcoming national elections on Sunday, saying the state media must remain impartial during the political contest.
Solangi’s issued the statement at a time when supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have tried to highlight attempts to eliminate their top leader from the political landscape of the country.
Khan has been facing a number of cases since his ouster from power in a parliamentary no-trust vote in April of last year and remains incarcerated in a high-security prison on charges of corruption and violating the Official Secrets Act.
Addressing a ceremony at Radio Pakistan Karachi, Solangi said it was clearly written in the constitution that the country would be run by democratically elected leaders.
“The state media should not support or oppose any political party,” he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan news agency.
He said it was the responsibility of the caretaker government to provide the right environment for transparent polls. He instructed the country’s official media to provide fair coverage to all registered political parties in the country.
It may be recalled that Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday it was “absolutely absurd” to say Pakistan’s powerful military would want to manipulate the election results keep ex-PM Khan from winning.
However, he also maintained in the same conversation it was possible to hold fair elections without the former premier and his jailed party leaders since they were involved in violent protests on May 9 and were facing legal action as a consequence.
Fathers of Noor Mukadam, Sara Inam call for expedited justice in daughters’ murder cases
- The demand for quicker trials by fathers of the two high-profile murder victims highlights a stagnant justice system
- The murders of Mukadam and Inam led to public outrage, calling into question the safety and rights of women in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The fathers of Noor Mukadam and Sara Inam, victims of two high-profile murders in Pakistan, held a news conference in the federal capital on Sunday, calling for expedited legal proceedings speedy justice in their daughters’ cases.
The media interaction was arranged exactly a year after Inam, a 37-year-old economist, was killed by her husband, Shahnawaz Amir, in suburban Islamabad.
The fathers of the two women not only pressed the judiciary for timely justice but also reignited the focus on the safety and rights of women in Pakistan which came under question after the two murders.
“It has been a year,” lamented Engineer Inam Rahim, Sara's father. “We were hoping this would take about six months since these were open-and-shut cases.”
He also asked the media not to forget about the murders and discuss them in newspapers and on television channels.
“We request you to continue to highlight these cases since that will raise our hopes of getting justice,” he continued, adding that his daughter was trapped by a husband whose main goal was her wealth and who eventually subjected her to brutal murder.
Shaukat Ali Mukadam, the father of Noor Mukadam who was murdered in July 2021, also called for a speedy trial.
“The courts will lose their credibility if such cases continue to remain pending in them,” he said.
His statement came as Zahir Jaffer, who was sentenced to death in his daughter’s murder case, filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Pakistan in April 2023. The case has remained pending since then.
Pakistan recalls injectable medicine amid eye infection reports, initiates probe
- The interim health minister assures the public of transparent inquiry, vows to prosecute those responsible
- The government had received complaints related to loss of sight among diabetic patients using Avastin in Punjab
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interim health minister Nadeem Jan said on Sunday the government had recalled an injectable medicine from the market after receiving reports it had caused eye infections and loss of sight among patients in the Kasur, Multan, Lahore, and Sadiqabad districts located in the eastern Punjab province.
According to media reports, the caretaker administration in Punjab formed a five-member committee to investigate the issue, following complaints related to a locally manufactured injection called Avastin which was used by diabetic patients in the province.
The federal health minister invited his provincial counterpart to Islamabad to discuss the issue in the wake of this development. He said authorities had launched an investigation and would soon assign responsibility for the matter.
“Investigations are ongoing,” Jan said in a televised statement. “A committee has been formed, comprising five of our most senior experts, who will analyze the issue from all angles and provide us with a comprehensive report within the next three days.”
“As of now, the batch of medicine in question has been recalled,” he continued. “It is now in our possession, and its sales are prohibited.”
The minister explained the investigation team was tasked with determining whether the problem was caused by the medicine itself, issues in its supply chain, the skill level of the administering doctors, or the sterilization process.
He added the government had filed a police report against two individuals representing the supply company and had initiated legal action against them.
Jan assured the public of a transparent inquiry, adding the authorities would share their findings and prosecute those responsible for causing harm to patients.
Asian Games: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan to set up India cricket final
- Pakistan manage below-par 75-9 in 20 overs against Sri Lanka
- Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off for bronze on Monday
HANGZHOU, China: In-form Sri Lanka, fresh from a stunning Twenty20 series victory in England, beat Pakistan by six wickets on Sunday to reach the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games and set up a clash with India.
Pakistan never got going on a difficult batting surface affected by days of rain at the Zhejiang University of Technology ground in Hangzhou, and could only muster a below-par 75-9 in their 20 overs.
Left-arm medium pace bowler Udeshika Prabodhani led the Sri Lankan attack with three wickets and Kavisha Dilhari took two with her offspin.
Sri Lanka sauntered to their target with 21 balls to spare to spark wild celebrations as their players ran on to the field to high-five and hug each other.
Earlier, the Indians routed Bangladesh for 51 on the same ground with all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, only drafted into the squad as a last-minute replacement, taking four wickets.
They wasted no time in racing to an eight-wicket victory with more than 11 overs remaining as Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with an unbeaten 20.
Rodrigues is yet to be dismissed in the Asian Games, scoring 47 not out in the quarter-final against Malaysia, which was later abandoned because of rain.
It was the second time in just over a week that Sri Lankan cricketers had proven party-poopers by preventing a Pakistan-India major cricket final.
The country’s men’s team beat Pakistan in the semifinal of the 50-over Asia Cup in Colombo to prevent a final showdown against their fierce rivals India.
Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s women secured a historic first-ever white-ball series triumph over England, winning 2-1.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off for bronze on Monday before India take on Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match.
Train crash in eastern Pakistan injures at least 30
- Lahore-bound passenger train collides with another in Shaikhupura district
- Railway authorities suspend driver, assistant, two members of ground staff
LAHORE: A passenger train collided with another already parked and carrying goods in eastern Pakistan on Sunday, injuring at least 30 passengers, five of them seriously, officials said.
Railway authorities suspended the driver of the Lahore-bound passenger train, his assistant and two of the ground staff for negligence as an investigation has been opened, said top railways official Shahid Aziz.
Aziz said the incident happened in Shaikhupura district near Qila Sattar Shah station early morning as the passenger train which left Mianwali for Lahore was directed to the track where the goods train was already parked.
He said most of the injured were treated at the train station, but those with serious injuries were moved to hospital and the tracks were quickly cleared.
Such accidents are common in Pakistan where railways suffer from decades-old signal systems and tracks.
