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What sinister politics is behind Nisar’s new found love for the Army?
Global Village Space |
News Analysis |
On Tuesday, the Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, defending the government’s drive against social media activists, said the government would not give a free hand to social media as Pakistan’s values, constitution, and decency were under threat on the platform. He is to ask the social media platforms be linked to individual telephone numbers so that each individuals usage and comments can be tracked.
Pakistan is traveling down the same road as President Erdogan is taking in Turkey, is being criticized worldwide for the government crackdown and harassment of social media activists and journalists on the ostensible pretext of religious and national interests. But which many attribute to government suppression of opposition party supporters prior to upcoming elections next year. Imran Khan has promised that he will take to the streets if his supporters are harassed.
✔@PTIOfficialLHR
We will take to the streets if action is taken against our social media activists under garb of "national security" ; Imran Khan
5:24 PM - 21 May 2017
✔@MichaelKugelman
Another reminder that all is not well in the Land of the Pure. #Pakistan's crackdown on dissent is intensifying. http://reut.rs/2qGHRMs
9:58 PM - 22 May 2017
✔@nadeemmalik
Social media activists are not anti-state elements. Crackdown for difference of opinion, disappearance bad signs. #Pakistan
9:58 PM - 20 May 2017
The interior minister is standing firm and stressed upon the need for devising a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for social media.
“I will request the National Assembly speaker to devise a social media code of conduct with different political parties. No curb is being imposed on social media. We are not going to take any illegitimate measure, but freedom without accountability is not acceptable,” Nisar said.
Read more: Pakistani Govt’s War against “Social Media”?
He, as the scion of a decorated military family, also went on to say that “anti-army” content will not be tolerated.
Why is Chaudhary Nisar singling out the social media platform as the only place that content against the army will not be tolerated? Does the fact that opposition activists attack the government using that platform have anything to do with it being singled out. What about the print and electronic media?
“For the last two weeks, posts making a mockery of Pakistan Army have surfaced,” he said in his briefing. “I believe that no Pakistani can have made these remarks against the Army,” he said.
“After the [ISPR] tweet and subsequent clarification, the reaction I saw on social media was a matter of concern for me,” he said. “Such posts are not tolerable.”
The last two days, FIA has arrested and taken computers from dozens of people who have “maligned” state institutions. Taha Siddique, a journalist has been charged for his comments about the Army on Twitter.
As Nisar tells us Pakistan has been too soft on many who have tarnished the image of the soldiers that have sacrificed for the country. Action against them was merited.
Read full article:
What sinister politics is behind Nisar’s new found love for the Army?
Global Village Space |
News Analysis |
On Tuesday, the Interior Minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, defending the government’s drive against social media activists, said the government would not give a free hand to social media as Pakistan’s values, constitution, and decency were under threat on the platform. He is to ask the social media platforms be linked to individual telephone numbers so that each individuals usage and comments can be tracked.
Pakistan is traveling down the same road as President Erdogan is taking in Turkey, is being criticized worldwide for the government crackdown and harassment of social media activists and journalists on the ostensible pretext of religious and national interests. But which many attribute to government suppression of opposition party supporters prior to upcoming elections next year. Imran Khan has promised that he will take to the streets if his supporters are harassed.
✔@PTIOfficialLHR
We will take to the streets if action is taken against our social media activists under garb of "national security" ; Imran Khan
5:24 PM - 21 May 2017
✔@MichaelKugelman
Another reminder that all is not well in the Land of the Pure. #Pakistan's crackdown on dissent is intensifying. http://reut.rs/2qGHRMs
9:58 PM - 22 May 2017
✔@nadeemmalik
Social media activists are not anti-state elements. Crackdown for difference of opinion, disappearance bad signs. #Pakistan
9:58 PM - 20 May 2017
The interior minister is standing firm and stressed upon the need for devising a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for social media.
“I will request the National Assembly speaker to devise a social media code of conduct with different political parties. No curb is being imposed on social media. We are not going to take any illegitimate measure, but freedom without accountability is not acceptable,” Nisar said.
Read more: Pakistani Govt’s War against “Social Media”?
He, as the scion of a decorated military family, also went on to say that “anti-army” content will not be tolerated.
Why is Chaudhary Nisar singling out the social media platform as the only place that content against the army will not be tolerated? Does the fact that opposition activists attack the government using that platform have anything to do with it being singled out. What about the print and electronic media?
“For the last two weeks, posts making a mockery of Pakistan Army have surfaced,” he said in his briefing. “I believe that no Pakistani can have made these remarks against the Army,” he said.
“After the [ISPR] tweet and subsequent clarification, the reaction I saw on social media was a matter of concern for me,” he said. “Such posts are not tolerable.”
The last two days, FIA has arrested and taken computers from dozens of people who have “maligned” state institutions. Taha Siddique, a journalist has been charged for his comments about the Army on Twitter.
As Nisar tells us Pakistan has been too soft on many who have tarnished the image of the soldiers that have sacrificed for the country. Action against them was merited.
Read full article:
What sinister politics is behind Nisar’s new found love for the Army?