Action taken against journalist under Peca for ‘provocative’ social media post

Journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi was booked on Saturday under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 over a ‘provocative and false’ video statement, according to police a spokesperson.

The complainant, ASI Tariq Mumtaz saw the video on WhatsApp, as per the police.

In the video statement, Junaid Sagar allegedly claimed that a dumper ran over a woman in the jurisdiction of Sir Syed police station as a result of which the public became enraged and attacked the police with stones. He further maintained that a station house officer along with two other policemen were injured during the incident, according to the first information report (FIR).

According to the statement, it was found upon verification that no such incident involving the police was reported and the news of a woman being run over was found to be false as well.

It continued that the journalist was spreading provocative and false information and an FIR was registered against him under Section 21 of PECA (2016).

PECA, since its introduction in 2016, has been widely criticised as a “black law” created mainly to punish dissent. In the eight years since its enactment, it has been used extensively against politicians, journalists, rights activists, and even ordinary political workers.

The National Assembly in January passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists from the proceedings.

Qureshi has become the latest journalist to face Peca charges. On March 20, journalist Farhan Mallick, the founder of media agency Raftar and a former news director at Samaa TV, was arrested in a case pertaining to running allegedly “anti-state” content on his outlet’s YouTube channel. He was booked booked under Peca as well as the Pakistan Penal Code.

A few days later, journalist Waheed Murad, who works with Urdu News, was produced before an Islamabad court by the Federal Investigation Agency, which had booked him under Sections 9 (glorification of an offence), 10 (cyber-terrorism), 20 (malicious code) and 26A (punishment for false and fake information) of the Peca.

Earlier this month, a police officer was arrested in Karachi under Peca for using “derogatory remarks” against President Asif Ali Zardari.

from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/TQOzu1s

Comments

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...

Taylor Swift cheers on Travis Kelce at Kansas City Chiefs game as ‘Eras Tour’ movie opens in theaters.

Taylor Swift took a break from promoting her new movie "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" to cheer on Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs at their game against the Denver Broncos on October 12, 2023. Swift was seen in a luxury suite with Kelce's mom, Donna Kelce, wearing a red Chiefs jacket. This was Swift's third Chiefs game of the season, and she has been seen cheering on Kelce from the sidelines on several occasions. The two have been rumored to be dating since early 2023, and they have been spotted together at a number of events. The Chiefs won the game against the Broncos 19-8, and Swift was seen celebrating with Kelce and his teammates after the game. She also took some time to meet with some of the Chiefs fans who were waiting outside the stadium. It is clear that Swift is a big supporter of Kelce and the Chiefs, and her presence at the game was sure to thrill fans of both. It is also interesting to note that she took time away from promoting her new movie to ...

Infinity Social Updates

Search This Blog