Daily Times

All Pakistani citizens who use the internet should read the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015. Posting a picture of someone on social media without their written consent, criticising a politician on a blog or expressing religious views that oppose those of dominant religious groups could get an ordinary citizen labelled a cybercriminal if the bill is passed, with activities that have become as common as everyday speech being punishable by heavy fines, imprisonment or both. The bill redefines the term cybercrime altogether, targeting ordinary citizens who share their views in cyberspace rather than cyber criminals and terrorists. Even the sections on cyberterrorism incriminate those who express dissident views rather than terrorist organisations who use cyberspace for their activities. The bill is incredibly vague, restrictive and open to misuse, allowing the authorities responsible for its implementation to interpret the ambiguous terms of anti-state and blasphemous however they please. In the context of horrendous police brutality against the protests of farmers, the blind and other disenfranchised factions, this bill would be another nail in the coffin of free speech and democracy in Pakistan. As the rest of the world thrives in an era of the free flow of information, the Pakistani government seems to be dragging the country back into a primitive world. The bill grants the Pakistan Telecom Authority the authority to ban any website or content it deems offensive, giving it powers akin to those of a court of law without any room for appeals or due process.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology’s approval of this draconian bill was rightly chastised by journalists, IT experts and the general public. When a review committee of journalists and experts presented their arguments for the rejection of the bill, the standing committee’s chairman asked the public to send letters and emails about their concerns regarding the bill. This move seems to be an attempt to calm the public outrage against the bill, not a serious attempt to review its undemocratic clauses. The chairman of the standing committee maintains that the cybercrimes bill protects freedom of expression and that the public’s reaction to it stems from the negative perception created about it in the media, clearly not taking note of the valid arguments made by civil society against it. This bill seems to be the government’s way of suppressing all voices of dissent and the exchange of all opinions that are not favourable to it under the guise of protecting the people from cybercrimes. Now, more than ever, the Pakistani people need to raise their voices to defend their basic right to free speech and the use of the internet to stop the progression of this society towards totalitarian censorship and disconnection from the rest of the world. *