Pakistani journalists observe ‘black day’ against new law to regulate social media

Journalists chant slogans during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan, on January 28, 2025, to condemn a controversial ‘Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act’ bill passed by parliament that critics argue is designed to suppress freedom of speech. (AP/File)
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Updated 31 January 2025
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Pakistani journalists observe ‘black day’ against new law to regulate social media

  • Black flags will be hoisted at press clubs and union offices across Pakistan, rallies to be held 
  • Journalists’ union says will give call for sit-in in front of parliament house to repeal ‘black law’ 

KARACHI: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is observing a ‘black day’ of protest today, Friday, against a new law aimed at regulating social media content that journalists and activists have widely described as an attack on freedom of expression.

The law, which amends the much-criticized Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) of 2016, establishes the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority to perform a range of functions related to social media, including being able to order the immediate blocking of unlawful content targeting judges, the armed forces, parliament or provincial assemblies or material that promotes and encourages terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. The authority will have its own investigation agency and tribunals. Those found to have disseminated false or fake information face prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200).

“In movement against PECA Act, PFUJ decides to observe Black Day tomorrow [Friday],” PFUJ said in a statement on Thursday. “On the appeal of PFUJ, black flags will be hoisted at press clubs and union offices across the country tomorrow. Rallies will also be taken out.”

The union said journalists would cover stories on Friday wearing black armbands, decrying that the upper and lower houses of parliament did not consult media stakeholders before passing the law. 

“Despite the repeated appeal of the PFUJ Joint Action Committee, the president also signed the bill without giving an opportunity to meet, which is regrettable,” PFUJ President Afzal Butt was quoted as saying.

“A nationwide campaign will be launched to mobilize journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and civil society … A call for a sit-in in front of Parliament House for the repeal of this black law will be given.”

The operative part of the new bill outlines that the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority would have the power to issue directions to a social media platform for the removal or blocking of online content if it was against the ideology of Pakistan, incited the public to violate the law or take the law in own hands with a view to coerce, intimidate or terrorize the public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions, incited the public to cause damage to governmental or private property or coerced or intimidated the public and thereby prevented them from carrying on their lawful trade and disrupted civic life.

The authority will also crackdown on anyone inciting hatred and contempt on a religious, sectarian or ethnic basis as well as against obscene or pornographic content and deep fakes.

Rights activists say the new bill is part of a widespread digital crackdown that includes a ban on X since February last year, restrictions on VPN use and the implementation of a national firewall. 

The government denies the measures are aimed at censorship.


Pakistan capable of defending itself, PM Sharif says on anniversary of downing of Indian fighter jet

Updated 6 sec ago
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Pakistan capable of defending itself, PM Sharif says on anniversary of downing of Indian fighter jet

  • Six years ago, Indian government claimed to have launched a surgical strike in Pakistan near Balakot city
  • In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Swift Retort, downing an Indian MiG-21 and capturing its pilot

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday Pakistan was fully capable of defending its territorial integrity, marking the sixth anniversary of Operation Swift Retort, during which the country’s air force shot down an Indian fighter jet that had entered Pakistani airspace.
On February 27, 2019, Indian fighter jets crossed into Pakistani territory, claiming to have carried out a surgical strike against what New Delhi alleged was a militant training camp near Balakot city. The incursion came in response to a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir earlier that month, which killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel, though Pakistan had condemned the development.
In retaliation, Pakistan’s air force launched Operation Swift Retort, downing an Indian MiG-21 and capturing its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India as a peace gesture. The episode sharply escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, bringing them to the brink of a full-scale conflict.
“Six years ago, on February 27, 2019, Pakistan’s Air Force delivered a clear message to the enemy that Pakistan possesses the full capability to defend its borders,” Sharif said in a statement released by his office.
“Through Operation Swift Retort, Pakistan’s Air Force demonstrated its military prowess and unshakable resolve to safeguard the homeland, sending a clear signal that the Pakistan Armed Forces are fully capable of countering any aggression,” he added.
The prime minister lauded the valor, professionalism and sacrifices of Pakistan’s armed forces, emphasizing the country remains committed to peaceful coexistence but will not hesitate to respond to any threat to its national security and stability.
“Pakistan has always strived to promote regional peace, but whenever an attempt was made to undermine our national security and stability, the entire nation stood united like an iron wall,” he said.
Later in 2019, Pakistan and India downgraded diplomatic relations after New Delhi revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir, further straining ties between the two South Asian rivals.
 


Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution

Updated 52 min 6 sec ago
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Pakistan calls for immediate ceasefire in Sudan during Ramadan, urges political resolution

  • Pakistani diplomat at UN condemns attack on Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital that killed more than 70
  • He warns against attempts to establish parallel governments in Sudan, saying it will fragment the country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan on Wednesday, stressing the need for a political resolution to the nearly two-year conflict that has displaced about 12 million people, roughly a quarter of the African state’s population.
Hostilities in Sudan erupted in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalating into a full-scale civil war. The fighting has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions facing acute hunger and displacement.
Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, urged all parties to implement an unconditional ceasefire and engaging in dialogue for a sustainable political resolution during a Security Council briefing.
“We call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire during the holy month of Ramadan,” Jadoon told the world body. “Both parties must respect the inviolability of human life during this blessed month.”
Jadoon reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to Sudan’s unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as he condemned attempts to establish parallel governments, warning that such actions threatened to further fragment the country.
Highlighting the dire humanitarian situation, he mentioned the acute hunger and food insecurity affecting millions, noting the crisis could have serious repercussions beyond Sudan’s borders.
He called for urgent international action, noting that over 24.6 million people face acute food insecurity while commending the Sudanese government’s efforts to open additional air, sea and land borders for humanitarian assistance.
The Pakistani diplomat also demanded an end to violations of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need for the full implementation of the Jeddah Declaration on the Protection of Civilians, which was agreed upon by both warring parties.
“We reiterate our condemnation of Rapid Support Forces (RSF)’s attack on the only functioning hospital in the besieged El-Fasher, the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital, which took more than 70 innocent lives,” he said, referring to the targeting of the medical facility last month.
Jadoon stressed the importance of a comprehensive and inclusive political process to address Sudan’s multidimensional challenges.
He called on the UN to explore ways to support the Sudanese government’s proposed political roadmap as part of a broader peace initiative.


Pakistan announces relief for electricity consumers using up to 300 units

Updated 27 February 2025
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Pakistan announces relief for electricity consumers using up to 300 units

  • Pakistan to also slash monthly fuel adjustment charges of those using agricultural tubewells, says state-run media 
  • Pakistan produces expensive electricity due to reliance on imported fossil fuels, inefficient energy mix, other factors

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Leghari has announced a reduction in the monthly fuel adjustment charges for households consuming up to 300 units of electricity and those using agricultural tubewells, state-run media reported this week. 

Pakistan’s move to raise electricity prices as part of energy sector reforms agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the past few years resulted in citizens suffering from steep and sudden increases in electricity bills.

The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Wednesday that the benefit of reduced fuel adjustment charges was initially halted for consumers using up to 300 electricity units in June 2015. For those using agricultural tubewells, this relief was withdrawn in December 2010.

“The Power Division has sent a letter to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), requesting the reinstatement of these adjustments,” APP said. 

“By waiving these charges for low-usage consumers and agricultural tubewells, the government aims to ease the financial burden on farmers and households with limited electricity consumption,” it quoted Leghari as saying. 

Pakistan produces expensive electricity due to a combination of factors including high reliance on imported fossil fuels, inefficient energy mix, substantial transmission and distribution losses and chronic issues like circular debt and regulatory inefficiencies.

The country’s outdated infrastructure and inadequate power plants further exacerbate costs, while underutilization of domestic resources such as hydropower and coal add to the problem.

Additionally, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates and complex tariff structures contribute to higher electricity prices. High power cost is one of the key factors that lead to inflation in the country.


Pakistan thanks Saudi Arabia for $500 million pledge for polio eradication

Updated 27 February 2025
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Pakistan thanks Saudi Arabia for $500 million pledge for polio eradication

  • The funds will be disbursed to help end wild form of polio in Pakistan, Afghanistan and stop outbreaks
  • Pakistan and Afghanistan are only two countries where polio is endemic, with former reporting 74 cases in 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq this week thanked Saudi Arabia for its $500 million pledge to eradicate poliovirus as the South Asian country struggles to contain the virus from spreading. 

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its $500 million pledge to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the World Health Organization announced on Monday. The funds, initially pledged in April 2024, will be disbursed to help end the wild form of polio in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and stop outbreaks of variant polio.

Wild polio, a naturally occurring form of the viral disease, is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which together reported 99 cases last year, according to the WHO. Variant polio is caused by the weakening of the oral polio vaccine.

Farooq participated in the Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, held from Feb. 24-25 in the Saudi capital, where she took part in a panel discussion on the topic: ‘Ending Polio & Strengthening Health Systems amid Humanitarian Crises.’

“Also expressed my gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia @KSRelief_EN for generous support to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative which will be used to vaccinate & protect children against a debilitating disease like polio,” she wrote on X on Wednesday.

“Together we will #endpolio.”

Pakistan last year reported a total of 74 polio cases, a sharp rise from only six cases it reported in 2023. The South Asian country has so far reported only three cases in the first two months of 2025, two from Sindh and one from its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. 

Pakistan’s efforts to eliminate polio have been undermined by vaccine misinformation and opposition from religious hard-liners who say immunization is a foreign ploy to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western spies.

Militant groups in KP province have frequently attacked and killed members of polio vaccine teams, and police officials who guard them. 

Unidentified men shot dead a police constable in KP’s Khyber district on Feb. 3 during a nationwide anti-polio campaign. 

Pakistan says the campaign, conducted from Feb. 3-9, vaccinated more than 45 million children.


Several agreements expected to be signed as Abu Dhabi crown prince visits Pakistan today

Updated 26 February 2025
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Several agreements expected to be signed as Abu Dhabi crown prince visits Pakistan today

  • Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to arrive with delegation comprising officials, businessmen
  • Both sides to sign several memorandums of understanding for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors

ISLAMABAD: Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will visit Pakistan today, Thursday, to boost economic ties and investment cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, the foreign office 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 Gulf country’s foreign ministry.
Sheikh Al Nayhan will arrive on his first official visit to Pakistan with a high-level delegation comprising ministers, senior officials and business leaders at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation, the foreign office’s statement said. 
“This visit underscores the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and reflects the shared commitment to further strengthen bilateral economic partnership,” the statement said. 
The foreign office said the crown prince will engage in wide-ranging interactions with the Pakistani leadership to “exchange views on matters of mutual interest, reinforce historical bonds and promote economic as well as investment cooperation.”
“Several agreements and Memorandums of Understandings will be signed during the visit to bolster existing robust framework for long-term collaboration in multifaceted sectors,” it added. 
The agreements are expected to open new opportunities for joint ventures and projects aimed at furthering economic cooperation between both countries, the statement said. 
Pakistan and UAE have stepped up efforts in recent years to strengthen their economic relations. In Jan. 2024, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure.
The crown prince’s visit comes as Pakistan pursues economic diplomacy with several Central Asian and Gulf nations while treading a tricky path to economic recovery since avoiding a sovereign default in June 2023.
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. 
It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest Pakistani expatriate community worldwide and a major source of foreign workers’ remittances for Pakistan.