2 years in jail, Rs500,000 fine for mocking Pakistani forces as amendment bill passed

[Jungibaaz]

I believe that vagueness is intentional by design, to be misused as needed, as we know from many other laws.

Agree, it's been that way since the doctrine of necessity, and this method reached its legal and legislative peak during the various eras of dictatorship.

 

[farok84]

Who decides what's constructive criticism and nonconstructive, what constitutes facts, conjecture, or propaganda? Why don't supporters of this bill and of censorship in general help create an exhaustive list of all definitions of what's banned and what's allowed. That way there is no misinterpretation or misuse of the law, until then, this is a vague and draconian bill.

And on the matter of taking to court, that recourse should be there for those under criticism to protect themselves against libel, not as a means of shouting down criticism as is wrongly thrown in here.

Hi,

At the end of the day, it will be the courts that will interpret what is constructive, non constructive, fact, conjecture or propaganda, like in case of any other crime, the verdict will be with the courts and judiciary.

What this amendment provides is a legal framework under which AG/ Prosecution Office (Government of Pakistan) can independently book and/or charge an accused and produce him/ her in a court of law for the offence of intentionally ridicule of Armed Forces of Pakistan, so the accused can be tried fairly and freely in a court and if found guilty, sentenced for the defamation. The bill is not a sentence to the offence, but is merely defining a punishable offence. Judgement rests with the honorable courts and to its interpretations.

The amendment serves as an extension to Section 500: Punishment for defamation, of Pakistan Penal Code Act XLV of 1860, and addresses specifically to the cases falling under its jurisdiction. The amendment:

The amendment, which will be called Section 500-A states: “Punishment for intentional ridiculing of the Armed Forces etc. Whosoever intentionally ridicules, brings into disrepute or defames the Armed Forces of Pakistan or a member thereof, he shall be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or fine which may extend to five hundred thousand rupees, or with both.”

NA panel approves bill against intentional disrespect for forces

The bill says anyone who shall be guilty could face up to two years imprisonment or fine that may extend to Rs500,000, or both.

www.dawn.com

Chapter XXI Of Defamation, illustrates in detail different scenarios where the defamation law can and cannot be applied. If you are interested, please have a read.

https://www.ma-law.org.pk/pdflaw/PAKISTAN%20PENAL%20CODE.pdf

 

[mikkix]

Sindhis and balochis should be careful now.

 

[Saifullah]

Hi,

At the end of the day, it will be the courts that will interpret what is constructive, non constructive, fact, conjecture or propaganda, like in case of any other crime, the verdict will be with the courts and judiciary.

What this amendment provides is a legal framework under which AG/ Prosecution Office (Government of Pakistan) can independently book and/or charge an accused and produce him/ her in a court of law for the offence of intentionally ridicule of Armed Forces of Pakistan, so the accused can be tried fairly and freely in a court and if found guilty, sentenced for the defamation. The bill is not a sentence to the offence, but is merely defining a punishable offence. Judgement rests with the honorable courts and to its interpretations.

The amendment serves as an extension to Section 500: Punishment for defamation, of Pakistan Penal Code Act XLV of 1860, and addresses specifically to the cases falling under its jurisdiction. The amendment:

The amendment, which will be called Section 500-A states: “Punishment for intentional ridiculing of the Armed Forces etc. Whosoever intentionally ridicules, brings into disrepute or defames the Armed Forces of Pakistan or a member thereof, he shall be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or fine which may extend to five hundred thousand rupees, or with both.”

NA panel approves bill against intentional disrespect for forces

The bill says anyone who shall be guilty could face up to two years imprisonment or fine that may extend to Rs500,000, or both.

www.dawn.com

Chapter XXI Of Defamation, illustrates in detail different scenarios where the defamation law can and cannot be applied. If you are interested, please have a read.

https://www.ma-law.org.pk/pdflaw/PAKISTAN%20PENAL%20CODE.pdf

What happened to the "SUPREME" court's decision about Musharaf ?
Decision by court, what a joke.

 

[Verve]

Do we have the copy of the bill being debated!?

I am all for prosecution of those making false allegations against armed forces. Such as that Hamid Mir scum who accused DG ISI of attempted assassination.

 

[farok84]

Do we have the copy of the bill being debated!?

I am all for prosecution of those making false allegations against armed forces. Such as that Hamid Mir scum who accused DG ISI of attempted assassination.

Hi,

I have shared the relevant part in my earlier post. You can find it quoted below.

Hi,

At the end of the day, it will be the courts that will interpret what is constructive, non constructive, fact, conjecture or propaganda, like in case of any other crime, the verdict will be with the courts and judiciary.

What this amendment provides is a legal framework under which AG/ Prosecution Office (Government of Pakistan) can independently book and/or charge an accused and produce him/ her in a court of law for the offence of intentionally ridicule of Armed Forces of Pakistan, so the accused can be tried fairly and freely in a court and if found guilty, sentenced for the defamation. The bill is not a sentence to the offence, but is merely defining a punishable offence. Judgement rests with the honorable courts and to its interpretations.

The amendment serves as an extension to Section 500: Punishment for defamation, of Pakistan Penal Code Act XLV of 1860, and addresses specifically to the cases falling under its jurisdiction. The amendment:

The amendment, which will be called Section 500-A states: “Punishment for intentional ridiculing of the Armed Forces etc. Whosoever intentionally ridicules, brings into disrepute or defames the Armed Forces of Pakistan or a member thereof, he shall be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or fine which may extend to five hundred thousand rupees, or with both.”

NA panel approves bill against intentional disrespect for forces

The bill says anyone who shall be guilty could face up to two years imprisonment or fine that may extend to Rs500,000, or both.

www.dawn.com

Chapter XXI Of Defamation, illustrates in detail different scenarios where the defamation law can and cannot be applied. If you are interested, please have a read.

https://www.ma-law.org.pk/pdflaw/PAKISTAN%20PENAL%20CODE.pdf

 

[Norwegian]

Do we have the copy of the bill being debated!?

I am all for prosecution of those making false allegations against armed forces. Such as that Hamid Mir scum who accused DG ISI of attempted assassination.

 

[Zibago]

Sure, then a law against this infraction in particular should be what is legislated. However, vague laws like the one in question can be draconian and are ripe for misuse, or alternatively they can be rendered useless if they succumb to the void-for-vagueness doctrine in a properly functioning system. The former is more of a concern in Pakistan.

On the issue of being misused they never had any problem when cyber crime law 2016 was misused I have no issues if this law is used against them

The time for playing nice is over

Imran claims govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to arrest PTI social media activists

Imran claims govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to arrest PTI social media activists May 17, 2017, 8:33 pm SHARE : NNI Follow Imran Khan ✔@ImranKhanPTI Govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to politically victimise PTI social media activists by threatening/arresting them. Unacceptable in a democracy...

defence.pk

I believe that vagueness is intentional by design, to be misused as needed, as we know from many other laws.

Eye for an eye

Imran claims govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to arrest PTI social media activists

Imran claims govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to arrest PTI social media activists May 17, 2017, 8:33 pm SHARE : NNI Follow Imran Khan ✔@ImranKhanPTI Govt abusing Cyber Crime Law to politically victimise PTI social media activists by threatening/arresting them. Unacceptable in a democracy...

defence.pk

Sindhis and balochis should be careful now.

I would say Lahoris should be the ones watching their backs at all times

 

[VCheng]

Eye for an eye

Andher nagri mein sab he andhay.

 

[Zibago]

Andher nagri mein sab he andhay.

ISIS ka naam lo chuk kar ley jayein gay tumhein par yahan ham unkey supporters ko sir ankhon par rakhein hein?

 

[VCheng]

ISIS ka naam lo chuk kar ley jayein gay tumhein par yahan ham unkey supporters ko sir ankhon par rakhein hein?

It is a choice to be made, including who to place on sair ankhon par.

 

[[--Leo--]]

Corruption karo dil khol k but you can't say anything to anyone
Logic of Pakistan Jo zada churi karta wo zada powerful ha there is no law here

Shameful assi countries k liye hamare ancestors ne jany qurban ki

 

[MastanKhan]

The military shouldn’t offer an opinion on any law unless formally asked to do so by parliament.

Hi,

That is an absolutely poor frame of thought---.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Hi,

That is an absolutely poor frame of thought---.

Why?

 

[krash]

This is all speculation - here are the facts.

Not at all. It is simple critical reasoning. This is how it has always been, for 75 years. This is how they do it, every single time. It has precedence after precedence after precedence. I for one cannot wait till the 'water over the bridge' moment to raise my concerns.

The names of the individuals on the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior are known: http://www.na.gov.pk/en/cmen.php?comm=MTA= These are the individuals responsible for the bill passing through committee. These (and any legislators who vote in favor of the bill in the full NA) are the ones that everyone's ire should be directed at.

Would that not be treating the symptoms?

If you believe that they were coerced by the Army, ask them.

If they deny Army pressure, the responsibility is theirs.

If they admit Army pressure, the responsibility is also theirs, for betraying the trust of voters and not openly declaring that they were being pressured to push this bill through.

You know that's not how it works. On the domestic political landscape the army is the mafia. It will make you do whatever they want you to do. Fortunately for them they have corrupt politicians to first leverage, then pin the blame on and then throw under the buss.

Until voters stop accepting these excuses of "Army made me do this, Army made me do that', and don't start holding the elected representatives accountable for THEIR actions, nothing will change.

Until the Army stops meddling in every single thing in this country nothing will change. And just like the elected officials, the Army needs to be held accountable for its actions which are always done behind the veil. We cannot sit here believing it to be real just because the puppeteer is standing behind the curtain.

If a majority of the electorate does not like the way a legislator voted, and that particular issue is extremely important to that majority, then vote that man/woman out.

Even if the electorate was aware enough, that would still do nothing to reduce the military's stranglehold on anything. Nor will it work owing to the brownie points earned by those politicians for doing the army's bidding.

This is how the system will evolve and strengthen and function properly,

The system will evolve when it's allowed to evolve. Why has it only devolved for 75 years? Soon the entire discussion will be moot; the army is set to squash any evolution ever by snuffing out all criticism of the most powerful entity in the Pakistani power dynamics.

not by hiding behind gossip, rumor, speculation and conspiracy theories of the Establishment bogeyman.

3 martial-laws, 4 coups, 6 ousted governments, 33 years under direct military rule, repeated political sponsorship of would be snakes (ZAB, PMLN, MQM, PMLQ, etc.), a massive intelligence wing dedicated to domestic politics, and proven corruption at the highest echelons for 75 years begs to differ.

We should all be familiar with the taste of these excuses by now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1380152509520547854

Nicely done Major Sahib, giving India's example when it suited your narrative. The same India which is the sum of all evil in every other instance, right? And no, every single nation worth its salt allows it, in fact celebrates it. Clearly, you're a victim of tunnel vision syndrome.