ISLAMABAD: The government has amended the laws governing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to empower it with a section of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to act against people who intended to spread “rumours and false information against state institutions” on the Internet.
The cabinet accorded its approval to the amendment to the Federal Investigation Agency Act, 1974, on Tuesday, and the Parliament is expected to follow suit later this week.
Previously, the authority was exercised by the police alone. Offenders will be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and will also be liable to a fine.
According to the summary presented before the cabinet, the “FIA has intimated that presently, social media is inundated with false information and rumours against state institutions and organisations with the intent to cause or incite or which is likely to cause or incite any officer, solder, sailor or airman in army, navy, or air force of Pakistan to mutiny, offence or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such.”
It further added that these rumours and false information were also being disseminated with the intent to cause, or likely to cause, fear or alarm in the public or in any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the state or against the public tranquillity.
“FIA has added that these are likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community.”
Armed with the updated laws, the agency has been empowered to go after people critical of the government and military for publishing “hate material” on social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
It wasn’t immediately clear what constituted the so-called hate material, or the mechanism to begin legal action against the suspect.
