ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering strict measures to curb defamation campaigns against state institutions, including the judiciary, army and other constitutional institutions, JEE News reported on Sunday.
Enactment of such a law is also under consideration to punish those who commit such acts against institutions.
This legal development is of particular importance as a political party’s relentless campaign against the military, judiciary and other constitutional institutions is in full swing.
Sources familiar with the legislation told JEE News that draft legislation is in circulation to amend the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Criminal Code (CRPC) to make fun of or ridicule Pakistan. The accused will be punished with imprisonment for up to five years. Army and Judiciary by any means.
The law is yet to be finalized before being tabled in the cabinet.
The bill has been drafted by the home ministry and the law and justice ministry is busy fine-tuning it before presenting it to the prime minister for presentation to the cabinet. A cabinet summary is also referred to along with the draft.
Sources pointed out that the bill titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023 proposes a new section 500A after section 500 in PPC 1860.
The legislation states that “any person who makes, publishes, broadcasts or disseminates information through any medium with intent to bring the judiciary into disrepute or scandal, the armed forces or any member thereof shall be guilty of an offense punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both.”
Similarly, a new section titled 500A has been added to Section 500 in Schedule II of PPC, which provides that the offender shall be arrested without warrant and the offense shall be non-bailable and non-committable, which That can only happen in that case. Challenged in Sessions Court.
The cabinet summary said that recently the country has seen a series of insulting, derogatory and vicious attacks on some institutions of the state, including the judiciary and the armed forces.
It added that “it is well known that a deliberate cyber campaign has been launched for selfish purposes with the aim of inciting and fostering hatred against key state institutions and their officials. “
It also said that such attacks are aimed at undermining the integrity, stability and independence of the country’s state institutions.
The summary further states that judicial and military officials do not have an opportunity to refute insulting and insulting remarks made in the media.
In view of the long-tried legal principle enshrined in Section 196 of the CrPC, prior approval of the Federal Government was made mandatory before taking notice of a case or registering a First Information Report (FIR) against any person. is to avoid its misuse. The PPC section, the document shows.
Constitutional experts believe that tougher laws to prevent defamation of the military, judiciary and other state institutions are already on the books. In the presence of such laws, there is no need for new legislation.
