ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the government is planning to introduce legislation aimed at safeguarding digital rights and curbing fake news, and it not against any specific party.
Talking to the media after the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice meeting, he said that legislation is being made not only for the present but also for the future. He said that the government will want to create consensus before presenting the draft of this legislation. He said that the draft of legislation would be thoroughly discussed in the Parliament.
While talking to the media, a member of Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Senator Kamran Murtaza of Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) said that the government’s proposed legislation about fake news are against the basic rights of the people. “It will be a wrong step of the government and tantamount to depriving basic rights of the people. It will be a violation of the Article-19 of the Constitution of Pakistan. The proposed law can be misused,” he said.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Naveed Chaudhry said while talking to Business Recorder that the PPP would decide voting on the bill after thoroughly discussing it with a legal team. He said that the PPP did not receive any draft of legislation from the government. “The PPP can support the bill if it does not violate the fundamental rights. There is no check and balance on social media. We have to draw a line on the limitation of social media,” he said.
Naveed Chaudhry said that there is also a need to create awareness among the people for using social media in the right way. He said that fake news could spread disinformation which may damage image of the country.
According to reports, the government proposed strict punishments under a new ‘Fake News Law’. It includes a five-year jail term or a fine of Rs1 million for those deliberately spreading false information. This is part of significant amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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