Pakistan's Senate body approves Cyber Crime Bill with some amendments

[Saifullah Sani]

The Senate, today, has finally adopted the controversial Cyber Crime Bill.
Last week news arose that the Senate standing committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication would approve the bill on Monday after which it would be up to the Senate to give the final nod of approval. Now the amended Electronic Crime Bill 2016 has been approved.

The bill was supposed to be passed within this week by the Senate because the Senate because the bill would have got expired before the next scheduled meeting of Senate on August 18.

Under this law, acts of cyber terrorism, hate speech, fraud, hacking, and the distribution of pornographic material over the internet would be punishable acts. The punishments proposed in the bill include 14 years of jail for cyber-terrorism, and 7 years of jail for distribution of child pornography. A fine of PKR 5,000,000/- will be leveled on the convict in each case. In case anyone posts someone’s picture without their consent, they would be fined PKR 1,000,000/- and spend three years in custody.

All these punishments will be given by the court’s permission. A prospect of establishing dedicated cyber crime courts has also been discussed.

It is expected that the government’s new Cyber Crime bill could give Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) the power to become a regulating body of the Internet in Pakistan. This means that they would be able to remove, block or manage all content on the Internet.

For nearly a decade now, the PTA has been blocking website containing pornographic, blasphemous or otherwise questionable material. They very famously blocked YouTube on grounds of blasphemy and some small stints including Facebook and Twitter.

https://www.techjuice.pk/senate-body-approves-cyber-crime-bill-with-some-amendments/

 

[Shah Xaib]

Good step

 

[Zibago]

Senate IT committee approves cyber crime bill with “significant amendments”


SLAMABAD: Senate IT Committee met (Tuesday) today and approved the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Bill (PECB) 2016 with “significant amendments”.

According to Bytes for All, Pakistan, a human rights organization focused on information and communication technologies, Senator Farhatullah Babar said Senate IT Committee has proposed “significant amendments” in the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Bill 2016.

If these suggestions are accepted by the Senate, the bill will be sent back to the National Assembly for reworking.

Some salient features of the bill include:

Salient features of bill
Up to seven years imprisonment, Rs10 million fine or both for hate speech, or trying to create disputes and spread hatred on the basis of religion or sectarianism
Up to three years imprisonment and Rs0.5 million fine or both for cheating others through internet
Up to five year imprisonment, Rs5 million fine or both for transferring or copying of sensitive basic information
Up to seven years imprisonment and Rs0.5 million fine or both for uploading obscene photos of children
Up to Rs50 thousand fine for sending messages irritating to others or for marketing purposes. If the crime is repeated, the punishment would be three months imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs1 million
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs0.5 million for creating a website for negative purposes
Up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs1 million for forcing an individual for immoral activity, or publishing an individual’s picture without consent, sending obscene messages or unnecessary cyber interference
Up to seven year imprisonment, a fine of Rs10 million or both for interfering in sensitive data information systems
Three month imprisonment or a Rs50 thousand fine or both for accessing unauthorised data
Three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs5 million for obtaining information about an individual’s identification, selling the information or retaining it with self
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs0.5 million for issuing a SIM card in an unauthorised manner
Up to three year imprisonment and fine of up to Rs1 million rupees for making changes in a wireless set or a cell phone
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs1 million for spreading misinformation about an individual
Up to three years imprisonment and fine of up to Rs1 million for misusing internet
The bill was passed by the NA standing committee on IT in 2015, while it was approved by the lower house of the parliament on April 13 this year. — SAMAA
http://www.samaa.tv/technology/2016...cyber-crime-bill-with-significant-amendments/

 

[denel]

Some things are off but most are dead on.

 

[Zibago]

Some things are off but most are dead on.

The off one,s are ingredients for a political witch hunt

 

[denel]

The off one,s are ingredients for a political witch hunt

yes absolutely correct.. it might go the way of that stupid old blasphemy law.

 

[war&peace]

Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs0.5 million for creating a website for negative purposes

That's really scary, with ambiguous words "negative purpose" it will surely be used for suppressing the freedom of speech and silencing the opposition. Who will define what is a negative purpose?
Furthermore what critical data rather there should be a law for the right to information as in KPK.

 

[Zibago]

That's really scary, with ambiguous words "negative purpose" it will surely be used for suppressing the freedom of speech and silencing the opposition. Who will define what is a negative purpose?

Jamhoriyat kay alambardaars Baboon leagis

What else can we expect from products of Zia,s womb @Hell hound @PaklovesTurkiye @django @Moonlight @waz @The Sandman @notorious_eagle

 

[war&peace]

Jamhoriyat kay alambardaars Baboon leagis

The opposition should oppose it and even if gets passed, they should challenge this in supreme court as this is against the fundamental freedoms of speech and expression.

 

[Zibago]

The opposition should oppose it and even if gets passed, they should challenge this in supreme court as this is against the fundamental freedoms of speech and expression.

It was approved by Senate and as we know PPP has majority in Senate sadly stupid politician dont know the bloe backs of this law

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

damu-crasy is the bast revanj.

 

[Shah Xaib]

Senate IT committee approves cyber crime bill with “significant amendments”


SLAMABAD: Senate IT Committee met (Tuesday) today and approved the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Bill (PECB) 2016 with “significant amendments”.

According to Bytes for All, Pakistan, a human rights organization focused on information and communication technologies, Senator Farhatullah Babar said Senate IT Committee has proposed “significant amendments” in the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Bill 2016.

If these suggestions are accepted by the Senate, the bill will be sent back to the National Assembly for reworking.

Some salient features of the bill include:

Salient features of bill
Up to seven years imprisonment, Rs10 million fine or both for hate speech, or trying to create disputes and spread hatred on the basis of religion or sectarianism
Up to three years imprisonment and Rs0.5 million fine or both for cheating others through internet
Up to five year imprisonment, Rs5 million fine or both for transferring or copying of sensitive basic information
Up to seven years imprisonment and Rs0.5 million fine or both for uploading obscene photos of children
Up to Rs50 thousand fine for sending messages irritating to others or for marketing purposes. If the crime is repeated, the punishment would be three months imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs1 million
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs0.5 million for creating a website for negative purposes
Up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to Rs1 million for forcing an individual for immoral activity, or publishing an individual’s picture without consent, sending obscene messages or unnecessary cyber interference
Up to seven year imprisonment, a fine of Rs10 million or both for interfering in sensitive data information systems
Three month imprisonment or a Rs50 thousand fine or both for accessing unauthorised data
Three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs5 million for obtaining information about an individual’s identification, selling the information or retaining it with self
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs0.5 million for issuing a SIM card in an unauthorised manner
Up to three year imprisonment and fine of up to Rs1 million rupees for making changes in a wireless set or a cell phone
Up to three year imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs1 million for spreading misinformation about an individual
Up to three years imprisonment and fine of up to Rs1 million for misusing internet
The bill was passed by the NA standing committee on IT in 2015, while it was approved by the lower house of the parliament on April 13 this year. — SAMAA
http://www.samaa.tv/technology/2016...cyber-crime-bill-with-significant-amendments/

after all of this are we allowed to use VPN and unblocking sites?

 

[Zibago]

after all of this are we allowed to use VPN and unblocking sites?

This law isnt an issue for me its an issue for our simple folks who post political opinions from their real accounts without masking their ip,s

 

[I M Sikander]

That's really scary, with ambiguous words "negative purpose" it will surely be used for suppressing the freedom of speech and silencing the opposition.

Opposition parties in Pakistan enjoys such a freedom that is not available else where round the world.

You may attack ptv , PM House and parliament.
You may ask for military intervention.
You are free to abuse Pakistan in tbe name of provincial autonomy.
You may ask for help from RAW and UNO.

What else freedom opposition parties wish for.

 

[Zibago]

Opposition parties in Pakistan enjoys such a freedom that is not available else where round the world.

You may attack ptv , PM House and parliament.
You may ask for military intervention.
You are free to abuse Pakistan in tbe name of provincial autonomy.
You may ask for help from RAW and UNO.

What else freedom opposition parties wish for.

Right to criticize govt without the threat of million rs fine or jail but hey Baboon Butt promised to fulfill mission of Zia on his funeral