The Cyber Crime Bill-2016 endorsed by both houses of the Parliament would greatly help reduce the number of women harassment cases especially in rural areas, a senior official in the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication said.
As per an article of the bill, “If you try to get into a relation with someone online through internet website, email, SMS, phone or any communication tool despite there is disinterest from the other party then you can be jailed for three years or imposed a fine which may extend to Rs one million or with both.”
Talking to APP, he said that internet was the engine of economic growth in the modern world and no country could afford to block it every time; however, there was a need for such legislation to resolve the issue permanently.
It may be mentioned here that the Senate Standing Committee on IT, headed by Shahi Syed, gave substantial input and made amendments in 16 different sections of the bill to safeguard the common man.
To a question he said intentionally and publicly displayed any information through any system, which he/she knows to be false and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to Rs one million or with both.
He said, “You know that an information is wrong and you still post or share it on Facebook about a person that damages his/her reputation come under the law.”
However, he said, this section will not apply where the offence is committed by a broadcast media licensed under the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Ordinance, 2002 (XIII of 2002).
