PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has voiced his support for an upcoming draft bill that would amend the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and award up to five-year imprisonment to whoever scandalises, or ridicules the Pakistan Army and judiciary through any medium.
The draft bill vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and initiated by the Ministry of Interior for the prime minister and federal cabinet.
A cabinet summary in this regard outlines the aim of the soon-to-be proposed bill clearly as lately social media has been rife with criticism of the army and courts.
According to sources in the Ministry of Interior, the summary and the bill will be forwarded to the federal cabinet soon.
When approached for a comment on the planned legislation, Abbasi told local newspaper that he had not seen the draft but there had to be “some limit” to defaming someone.
“Everywhere in the world there is a defamation law and this does not happen that anyone comes up willy-nilly and says whatever they want,” he said.
However, PML-N’s Rohail Asghar said no such laws should be passed by the government, adding that if such legislation were to sail through, “it would rebound on those bringing them”.
He rubbished the notion that criticising institutions amounted to their defamation, saying that if voters could criticise their constituency heads then anyone could be. Asghar added that clamping down on freedom of expression would yield no benefit and there should be space allowed for criticism.
Titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, the bill suggests a new section 500A after section 500 in PPC 1860. The new section is titled ‘Intentional ridiculing or scandalising of the state institutions etc.’
It says that whoever makes, publishes, circulates any statement or disseminates information, through any medium, with an intention to ridicule or scandalise the judiciary, the armed forces or any of their member will be guilty of an offence punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with a fine which may extend to Rs1 million or with both.
