Senate body directs stern action over misuse of social media

–Senators express concern over non-implementation of National Action Plan

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Friday directed the ministry to take a stern action against those who level fake allegations, upload fake FIRs and accuse any innocent on social media.

During a briefing on National Action Plan (NAP) by Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal about the matter pertaining to the misuse of social media, the committee agreed that a strict measure should be introduced against those who misuse social media platform for ulterior motives.

Committee Chairman Senator Rehman Malik directed that there should be either amendment in the existing cyber-crimes act, The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, or new enactment may be introduced to ensure effective penalisation.

He said a new law should be proposed with stringent punishment for those who misuse the law.

Rehman Malik also referred to the recent judgment of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui during a hearing on a writ petition pertaining to social media. Over the course of the hearing, Justice Siddiqui had given a clear guideline to parliament to craft a law which also penalises its misuse.

The justice said that we can set a precedent by fixing the same punishment for those who falsely accuse someone or misuse the law for any personal animosity or any personal interest.

Committee displeased by Trump’s tweets

The committee also showed displeasure over an alleged statement by Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Tariq Azeem Khan, that endorse anti-Pakistan tweets of US President Donald Trump.

The chairman of the committee, Rehman Malik, directed the ministry to investigate whether the statement is fake or real; and on whose directions such a statement had been made.

“How a government employee can issue such a statement in his personal capacity,” argued Rehman Malik as he directed the committee to keep itself updated about the investigation into the matter.

During the meeting, Senator Rehman Malik moved a resolution against the US President Donald Trump anti-Pakistan statement which was unanimously passed and appreciated by the members.

Terming it a highly irresponsible and disrespectful tweet, Senator Rehman Malik read the resolution as: “The Committee unanimously condemns the statement of US President Donald Trump in which he has leveled charges of “lies and deceit” against Pakistan, ignoring our sacrifices in war on terror for the last 17 years wherein Pakistan has 75000 casualties of troops and civilians in war on terror. And, Pakistan has incurred huge loss of 180 billion dollars in connection with blocking its airspace for all commercial flights, destruction of infrastructure and others. This Committee demands from the US through the government of Pakistan to recognise the sacrifices and services of Pakistan and withdraw the President Donald Trump’s highly disrespectful statement of “lies and deceit”.

National Action Plan

The senators expressed concerns over the non-implementation of National Action Plan (NAP) in its true spirits.

Moreover, Rehman Malik, however, appreciated the services of the interior minister, saying that he hoped that the minister will ensure the implementation of the NAP in its true spirit.

NACTA National Coordinator Ihsan Ghani briefed the committee on the NAP in detail and said that NAP was being implemented its true spirit.

Following the criticism by the senators over NACTA, Rehman Malik told the committee that NACTA is actually not an operating authority or force.

Appreciating the efforts of Ihsan Ghani, Rehman Malik suggested that the government may invite the foreign diplomats and ambassadors of other countries, particularly belonging to West, to brief them about the services and scarifies of Pakistan in the war on terrorism.

He said that despite numerous sacrifices and financial loss, we have failed to build a narrative; resultantly, we are being bashed.

Senator Rehman Malik advised that extra funds should be given to NACTA for projection of their work on private television channels and also ordered the PEMRA to convince the private TV channels to dedicate few minutes daily to highlight the work and efforts of NACTA.

Taking the notice of abrupt notice by the Ministry of Interior about the suspension of all arms licenses of automatic weapons, Rehman Malik directed the ministry to suspend this notice/decision till the matter is taken to parliament for deliberations.

The committee recommended the ministry to suspend the order of suspension of arms license immediately; the decision was endorsed by the members of the committee besides the interior minister.

Moreover, the report of Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security on the question raised by Senator Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel and Senator Hasil Bizenjo pertaining to fertilizers and movement of urea in FATA, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan was discussed.

The chairman directed the interior ministry to immediately lift the ban on movement of urea and fertilizers as farmers were suffering due to the shortage of urea and fertilizers. He directed the authorities to control the misuse and smuggling of urea and other fertilizers rather than putting a ban on its movement in any area. He said that there are a lot of families in Balochistan, KP and FATA whose only source of income is agriculture.

The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator A. Rehman Malik here at the Parliament House and was attended among others by Senators Shibli Faraz, Tahir Mashhadi, Javed Abbasi, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Sardar Fateh Hassani, Muhammad Azam Khan Musakhel, and by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Special Secretary Interior, and NACTA National Coordinator Ihsan Ghani and also by officials from Law Ministry and Chief Commissioner Islamabad.