ISLAMABAD: A joint committee of Pakistani media bodies on Tuesday said it had suspended its dialogue with the government over a new social media law, as the legislation was challenged in a Pakistani court, local media reported.
The government recently introduced through an ordinance an amendment to section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which criminalizes sharing “defamatory” and “fake” content on social media but is widely viewed as a tool to silence critics of the government. The government denies this.
The new amendment increases the jail term for defaming any person or institution on social media from two years to five years, according to the Pakistani information minister. It makes it mandatory for courts to decide cases within six months, and has made the offense non-bailable.
A joint committee of Pakistani media bodies has taken a tough stance on the amendments and described the government’s engagement with the journalist bodies over the laws as a “farce,” the Express Tribune reported.
“The dialogue with the government over the legislation regarding media was being suspended ‘until the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are reversed’,” the report quoted the joint action committee (JAC) of media outlets as saying.
“The information minister [Chaudhry Fawad Hussain] is toying with the media fraternity in the guise of engagement and keeps passing ordinances against freedom of speech while giving the impression that media fraternity is being engaged.”
The JAC comprises All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) and Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND).
It said there was a grave trail of examples after an example where the information ministry was “tampering with freedom of speech, muzzling the journalists right to report, financially crippling media to influence journalism.”
“The fraternity had warned of this before and appealed to the PM previously as well that a dangerous trend had been emerging which is creating a distance between the government and the public as well as the media workers,” the statement said.
Hussain has not as yet commented on the remarks of the joint committee.
Meanwhile, the recently passed PECA Ordinance 2022 was challenged in the Lahore and Islamabad high courts on Tuesday, with the petitions claiming the ordinance was a “sheer violation” of not only the judgments passed by the apex court but also the Constitution of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) challenged the amendments in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), requesting the court to declare the ordinance “unconstitutional and null and void.”
PFUJ counsel Adil Uzair Qazi filed the petition that said the Constitution of Pakistan provided complete freedom of expression and while the world was decriminalizing defamation, the government was acting against journalists, SAMAA TV reported.
“One day after the Senate session, the government made amendments to the PECA law through an ordinance,” the petition read, according to the report.
“The government had already prepared the draft, they were just waiting for the session to end so they could circumvent the due legislative process.”
A meeting of the National Assembly could have been convened to amend the PECA Act, but the haste of the government showed its nefarious intentions, the PFUJ petition noted.
In the petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC), petitioner Mohammad Ayub said the law was amended to save the government from its “illegal acts” and requested the court to declare the ordinance unlawful, as it was liable to be set aside in the supreme interest of justice, the Express Tribune reported.
The petition made the principal staff officer of President Arif Alvi, principal secretary of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Ministry of Law and Parliamentary Affairs secretary, establishment secretary, establishment division, cabinet secretary, and the law and justice division secretary as the respondents.
Ayub stated the president promulgated PECA amendment ordinance with “mala fide intention and for ulterior motive” just to “harass and blackmail the opposition” as well as the public at large, which was against the scheme of law.
“The motive behind the promulgation of the impugned ordinance is a direct attack upon the independence of the judicial system as well as judges of constitutional jurisdiction,” the report quoted the petitioner as stating.
“Article 19 of the Constitution talks about the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Every citizen of Pakistan has the right to hold an opinion, the right to express them, and the right to speech. Hence this impugned ordinance is a sheer violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973.”
Ayub also cited proceedings of a case against journalist Mohsin Baig, who was arrested in a raid on his Islamabad residence after a dramatic scuffle on February 16.
On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued a show-cause notice to the cybercrime wing of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the “misuse of power” in Baig’s case.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also disapproved the amendments to PECA and demanded immediate withdrawal of the ordinance.
Earlier, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Shehzada Zulfiqar said the new amendments were clearly aimed at suppressing the freedom of speech and press, which had already got setbacks over the last few years.
He said the new legislation would defame Pakistan, where the electronic media had already come under the control of the government. “The mainstream media has already been controlled by the government. It now wants to control the digital media,” Zulfiqar told Arab News.
He said the PFUJ was not against legislation to deal with the issue of “fake news,” but this should be done in consultation with the stakeholders and only after all agree to it.
Pakistani journalists suspend dialogue with government as new social media law challenged in court
https://arab.news/2jq5z
Pakistani journalists suspend dialogue with government as new social media law challenged in court
- Law makes defamation on social media non-bailable offense, increases jail term to 5 years
- Many view the legislation, passed through an ordinance, as a tool to silence critics of government
In southern Pakistan, septuagenarian artist fights to keep century-old ‘Matka Dance’ alive
- Traditional “Matka Dance” involves dancing while balancing earthen pot, attached to a pole, above one’s head
- Performing arts expert urges provincial government to support traditional dance, warns it may become extinct
KARACHI: Sain Dad, 73, expertly balances a round earthen pot, also known as a “matka” in the local language, four feet high above his head attached to a metal rod. Dad dances to the beat of the drums, using his hands not once to steady the rod as he performs a century-old art only a handful of people in southern Pakistan can perform.
The “Matka Dance” is a traditional folk dance performed in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province which involves expertly balancing an earthen pot above your head. The trick is to not use your hands as you dance while balancing the rod atop your head.
While the exact origin of the matka dance remains unknown, Dad traces its lineage back to Saleh Muhammad Shah, one of Sindh’s earliest known practitioners. Over a century ago, Dad says Shah pioneered the technique of lifting the earthen pitcher using a bamboo stick.
The skill was passed down through generations, until Mehrab Dad, Sain Dad’s father, ultimately taught his son the dance when he was 13 years old. It has been 60 years since then and Dad continues to keep the legacy alive.
“You cannot hold it and then have to control your neck,” Dad told Arab News, demonstrating how to execute the dance. “It is practice. It takes almost ten years to learn this.”
In six decades, Dad has graced various stages across 18 countries, even performing before the late Princess Diana during his tour of the United Kingdom in 1995.
While he is proud of the craft, it is a dying one and Dad lives an impoverished life in Khuda Bux Goth, a Karachi suburb, in a shanty house that only has a mat for a roof.
Apart from him, Dad says only his two sons and two students can perform the matka dance in Sindh.
Sheema Kermani, a renowned classical dancer and performing arts expert, said the matka dance is a “dance of joy and celebration” that was traditionally performed before nomadic communities left one area for another.
“All these folk dancings are rooted in people’s lives, in their work, in the kind of labor that they do,” Kermani explained.
She lamented the lack of government support for the craft, saying that the art form would die unless it received support from authorities.
“You see these people who are still practicing, they are the ones, they need to be supported,” Kermani told Arab News. “This is our heritage. This is the beauty of this culture.”
‘WEALTH OF RESPECT’
Muhammad Saleem Solangi, deputy director of culture in Sindh government, says his department actively promotes traditional artists by sending them overseas to perform at international festivals.
“I personally had our legendary artist, Sain Dad sahib, recommended for the Presidential Award in Islamabad,” Solangi told Arab News, adding that artists receive “substantial remuneration” for their performances at festivals.
“The department, within its limited resources, also provides him with an annual stipend,” he said. “In times of illness or financial crisis, they continue to support him, and they also look after his children.”
Dad’s 30-year-old son Muhammad Iqbal is a skilled drummer who accompanies his father and brothers to their performances. He says they typically perform three to four times a month, and during peak seasons, even six. Their earnings range up to Rs 30,000 [$107.66] per performance, which they divide among themselves.
“Whenever there is an exhibition or a wedding program, or a mehndi event, we perform in these programs,” Iqbal said.
But earnings hardly matter for Dad, who says the respect he enjoys from performing means the world to him.
“We may not have wealth in terms of money, but the wealth of respect is immense,” he said.
While the art form may be a dying one, Dad is already teaching his 15-year-old grandson how to balance a water bottle on his head.
And so far, Mehtab Ali is determined to master the matka dance.
“Just like my grandfather and uncle lift the pitcher, I will also, God willing, be able to lift it in four months,” Ali said.
Pakistan minister tables amendments lowering jail term for spreading ‘fake’ information to 3 years
- Changes to contentious cybercrime law says fake news disseminator could be fined up to Rs2 million [$7,177]
- Amendments propose creation of social media authority with powers to block content on online platforms
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday tabled amendments to a contentious cybercrime law in parliament, lowering the punishment for spreading “fake information” online to three years, according to a draft of the document.
Pakistan’s state minister for information technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, last month confirmed the government was reviewing amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Passed in 2016 by the then government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, the law was originally enacted to combat various forms of cybercrime, including cyber terrorism, unauthorized access, electronic fraud and online harassment, but it has variously been used to crack down on journalists, bloggers and other critics of the state.
The amendments proposed up to five-year imprisonment or fine extending to Rs1 million ($3,588) or both for anyone who “intentionally” posts false information online to create “a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest.”
“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits or transmits any information through any information system , that he knows or has reason to believe or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025 states.
The amendments also propose establishing a “Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority,” which would perform several functions related to social media such as education, awareness, training, regulation, enlistment, blocking and more.
It said that anyone “aggrieved by fake and false information” would be able to approach the authority to remove or block access to the content in question, adding that the authority would issue orders no later than 24 hours on the request.
“Any person aggrieved by fake or false information may apply to the Authority for removal or blocking of access to such information, and the Authority shall, on receipt of such application, not later than twenty-four hours, pass such orders as it considers necessary including an order for removal or blocking access to such information,” a copy of the amendment bill states.
The draft stated that authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform to remove or block online content if it was against the “ideology of Pakistan,” incited the public to violate the law, take the law in their own hands with a view to coerce, intimidate or “terrorize” public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions.
The authority will also have the power to issue directions to the social media platform if the online content incited the public or section of the public to cause damage to governmental or private property; coerced or intimidated the public or section of the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life, the draft said.
Pakistan’s digital rights experts have recently pointed to the government’s restrictions on the Internet, which include a ban on social media platform X since February 2024 and on the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) as moves to curtail freedom of speech and voices of dissent.
The government rejects these allegations and has repeatedly said it is enacting laws to battle fake news on social media platforms.
Pakistan Business Council calls for collaborative efforts with UAE in investment, cultural exchanges
Pakistan Business Council calls for collaborative efforts with UAE in investment, cultural exchanges
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and US, and a major source of foreign investment
- Pakistan consul general in Dubai urges business leaders to explore opportunities in IT, agriculture and tourism
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Business Council Dubai on Wednesday said it aims to strengthen existing relations between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi through collaborative efforts in trade, investment and cultural exchanges, a statement from the Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai said.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.
It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
Hussain Muhammad, the consul general of Pakistan in Dubai, met the new board members of the PBC Dubai at the Consulate General of Pakistan. Shabbir Merchant, the PBC Dubai chairman, shared the council’s strategic roadmap for 2025-2026.
“Mr. Merchant stated that PBC aims to strengthen the relationship between Pakistan and UAE through collaborative efforts in trade, investment and cultural exchanges,” the Pakistan Consulate General said. “He added that the Council is committed to avail opportunities for mutual growth and foster a deeper connection between the two nations.”
Muhammad appreciated PBC’s efforts in promoting Pakistan’s economic potential in the UAE, the statement said, adding that the Pakistani consul general also encouraged them to take concrete steps toward enhancing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.
“The Consul General emphasized the need for business leaders to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s diverse sectors, including IT, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism,” the statement said.
“He said that Pakistan offers immense potential for investment and trade, with Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) established as a single window to facilitate investors.”
The SIFC is a hybrid civil-military body formed in June 2023 to attract international investment, particularly from Gulf countries, in Pakistan’s key economic sectors such as tourism, mining and minerals, agriculture and livestock.
Hussain urged the PBC to act as a bridge for creating new partnerships and expanding existing ones.
Pakistan and UAE have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their business and investment relations. In January 2023, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said, amid Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s visit to Davos for the World Economic Forum’s summit.
Pakistan reports first polio case of 2025 from country’s northwest
- Pakistan last year suffered from a surge in polio cases, reporting 73 infections countrywide
- South Asian country will hold first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from February 3
KARACHI: Pakistani health authorities confirmed this year’s first polio case on Wednesday from the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, amid Islamabad’s attempts to stem the spread of the disease.
Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with completing the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five are crucial to provide children with strong immunity against the disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH) confirmed that this year’s first case was reported from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district of the province. Last year, the South Asian country reported 73 polio cases countrywide.
“On Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, the lab confirmed one polio case from D.I. Khan,” the Pakistan Polio Eradication Program said in a statement. “D.I. Khan is one of the districts of South KP having 11 polio cases in 2024.”
Giving a breakdown of the 73 polio cases in 2024, the program said 27 were reported from southwestern Balochistan, 22 from KP, 22 from southern Sindh, and one each from the eastern Punjab province and the capital city of Islamabad.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains one of the last two polio-endemic countries in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually, but by 2018, the number had dropped to just eight cases. Only six cases were reported in 2023, and one in 2021.
However, Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have faced several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation spread by religious hard-liners.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 to Feb. 9.
Pakistan’s space agency says rare ‘Planetary Parade’ to be visible from January’s last week
- Planetary Parade refers to when four or more planets align in a straight line
- Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye, says space agency
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency said this week that people will be able to see the “Parade of the Planets,” a celestial spectacle in which four or more planets will line up in the sky, from the naked eye beginning from the last week of January till mid-February.
A planetary parade, or planetary alignment, is a rare celestial event where multiple planets in our solar system align in a straight line or appear close together in the sky. This occurs when the orbits of the planets bring them together in a specific configuration.
“The lining up of four or more planets in the sky is usually called Parade of the Planets,” Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Tuesday. “Out of all these planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye.”
It said that since the moon will be a waning crescent on Jan. 25, from a moderately pollution free sky, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will appear within a similar celestial line.
The space agency said familiarity with constellations would make it easier for people to identify planets. It said many free stargazing applications were available to identify celestial objects in the sky.
“To find out the name of an object, access the app and point the device toward the object in the sky and the app will display the names of the objects toward which the app is pointed out,” Suparco said.
It said Mars would be visible on the eastern horizon in the constellation Gemini whereas a brighter Jupiter would be located in the constellation Taurus.
“If the sky is dark enough, you can also enjoy the beautiful Pleiades, Hyades, and the yellow star Aldebaran,” Suparco said.
The space agency said high-powered binoculars or a telescope would be required to observe Uranus which lies in the constellation Aries.
It added that strong binoculars would be required to see Neptune in the constellation Pisces while Saturn and Venus would also be visible.
