Islamabad: Pakistan’s Federal Government is exploring the possibility of implementing strict measures to put an end to the ongoing defamation campaign against the state institutions, including the judiciary, army and other constitutional organizations, according to a report.
The government is considering the introduction of legislation that would penalize individuals who engage in such activities against state institutions. This legal development is of great importance as a political party has been continuously attacking the army, judiciary, and other constitutional organizations.
Sources with knowledge of the legislation informed The News that a draft of the bill has been circulated, proposing amendments to the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The draft suggests that individuals who scandalize or ridicule the Pakistan Army or judiciary through any medium could face up to five years in prison.
The bill, titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, has been authored by the Ministry of Interior and is undergoing fine-tuning by the Ministry of Law and Justice before being submitted to the Prime Minister for consideration by the cabinet. The cabinet summary accompanying the draft highlights the recent increase in scandalous, derogatory, and vicious attacks on the country’s state institutions, including the judiciary and armed forces.
According to the legislation, individuals who make, publish, or circulate statements with the intention of ridiculing or scandalizing the judiciary, armed forces, or any of their members will be guilty of an offense and could face simple imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to 1 million rupees, or both. The bill also proposes that the offender could be arrested without a warrant and that the offense would be non-bailable and non-compoundable, with only the sessions court able to challenge it.
Constitutional experts believe that there are already stringent laws in place to stop the malignment of the army, judiciary, and other state institutions and that there is no need for additional legislation. However, given the recent cyber campaign aimed at inciting hatred against these institutions, the government is exploring the option of implementing stronger measures to protect them.
