The Pakistani government has approved a new law that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison for those who spread “false or fabricated information” about the country’s military, judiciary and civilian authorities.
An official in the Republic of Pakistan told AFP that the cabinet had approved the law and signed it by President Arif Ali.
The law is still in effect, but must be sent to parliament for approval in the next 90 days. Experts say the government has a majority in parliament and it is unlikely that any problems will arise.
Critics of Pakistan’s military have previously been punished. Critics see the Pakistani government’s new law as further restricting freedom of expression and the media, which could hurt social media workers the most. Pakistan is on the list of dangerous countries for media workers.
Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission has called the law “undemocratic” and said it would be used “to crack down on dissidents, critics and government agencies”.
The law amends the existing law on defamation and online misinformation in Pakistan, which “harms the privacy and reputation of an individual”.
The new law also increases the maximum sentence for defendants from three to five years, and the defendant will not be released on bail.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s Justice Minister Frogh Naseem dismissed as “baseless” rumors that the law was an attempt to restrict the media. “You have the freedom to criticize, but it should not be false news,” he said.
The Federal Union of Journalists of Pakistan has said it will file a lawsuit against the law.
The union says “new amendments to the law” restrict the freedom of the media and expression, which have already been suppressed in the country.
