News Desk
Islamabad:
The government is considering amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PICA) 2016 to strengthen its cybercrime regulations and address flaws in handling online content, particularly those involving defamation of state institutions. The proposed changes aim to improve the effectiveness of the law, which has been found inadequate in certain areas, especially when dealing with propaganda against government bodies.
According to reports, the government’s intention to amend PICA was disclosed by Sajid Mehmood, Parliamentary Secretary of the Cabinet Division, in a recent session of the National Assembly. He stated that the government plans to upgrade the law to enhance Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) capacity to address cybercrimes, as PTA currently faces limitations in combating these issues.
In response to a notice on fake news circulating on social media, Mehmood highlighted the government’s efforts to block VPNs and platforms like X (formerly Twitter), but stressed that the issue is more complex. To address these challenges, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has established a task force to focus on addressing the law’s weaknesses. The amendments aim to provide quicker justice in such matters.
In a related statement, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunications, Shiza Fatima, emphasized the government’s push for faster trials against cybercrime violators. However, the establishment of a special tribunal to handle such cases has been delayed. The Telecommunication Appellate Tribunal, proposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in March 2020, was officially notified by the Ministry of Law in December 2023 but has yet to be formally constituted. The delay has caused concern over the timely execution of justice in these cases.
An official from the Ministry of Interior revealed that the Ministry of Law is working on the establishment of appellate tribunals under PICA 2016 to expedite the trial process. One of the major flaws in the existing law, according to officials, is the lack of provisions for online defamation of state institutions. Section 37 of PICA, which addresses illegal online content, grants authorities the power to block or remove information deemed harmful to national security, public order, or dignity. However, it does not address the issue of online defamation directed at state entities, which the government aims to rectify through the proposed amendments.
