Pakistan’s new law criminalises military criticism with 2-yr jail term, sparks outrage

REVATHI KRISHNAN

The Pakistani government has proposed a law that will criminalise the criticism of the military, which has been approved by a panel of the National Assembly — the lower house of the country’s parliament.The bill, which was approved by Pakistan’s National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior on 7 April, proposes to change the country’s criminal law and states that anyone who “intentionally ridicules, brings into disrepute or defames” the country’s military will undergo a two-year prison sentence or will be fined more than $3,200 (Rs 5,00,000) or both.

The bill, however, still needs majority approval in the National Assembly and the Senate (upper house) of the country’s Parliament.

It was introduced by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Amjid Ali Khan, in response to the growing criticism of the armed forces. Several members of the military have been subject to criticism for their alleged interference in matters related to governance.

During deliberations on the law in the panel, opposition leaders from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) had opposed the law and said that it could be used against freedom of expression in the country.

Criticism of the law

Rights activists, politicians and other social media users have vociferously criticised the law. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet ministers have expressed reservations about the bill.

Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council Khush Dil Khan, in a statement, said that if the bill is passed, it will be used as a tool against political victims. “If it is passed, then the Pakistan Bar Council will oppose it tooth and nail.” The move was also criticised in a strongly worded editorial in the newspaper Dawn, which said that “no one is above criticism, including the senior leadership of our security apparatus — this includes those perceived as going beyond their scope of responsibilities”.

The editorial cited Pakistan’s checkered political history that has seen abrogation of the Constitution, dismissal of elected governments and military intervention and noted that the new legislation will also “give weight to the argument that the present dispensation is a hybrid regime”.

“Freedom to question here does not mean that the military’s role in defending the country is being doubted. It simply gives people their constitutional right to question the alleged involvement of an institution of the state in affairs that are beyond its constitutional mandate,” the editorial said, adding that the bill should be dismissed in “the interest of democracy”.

The controversial legislation comes against the backdrop of the Pakistan government trying to control the social media ecosystem in the country.

Earlier in April this year, Pakistan resumed access to Tik Tok after banning it in March for spreading offensive content.

https://theprint.in/go-to-pakistan/pakistans-new-law-criminalises-military-criticism-with-2-yr-jail-term-sparks-outrage/638520/