Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that the unconstitutional practices of Prime Minister Imran Khan prove his fear and defeat.
The PML-N leader said that as the election on no-confidence motion against PM Imran is approaching, he is getting disturbed, making calls to the members of National Assembly from Peshawar and dictating them to follow his instructions.
The no-confidence motion is the constitutional and legal right of all political parties, including the PML-N and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), she said.
She said that PM Imran is pressurising lawmakers to implement his perspective, adding that the PM should compete politically in the political ground and should not practice the illegal and unconstitutional actions, which are a proof of his fear and defeat.
Talking about the recent amendments made to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 through a presidential ordinance, she said that the government cannot hide its “fascist behaviour” behind these “draconian and black” amendments.
“Imran Khan has made these draconian amendments to mentally enslave 220 million people of Pakistan,” she remarked, adding that the amendments are in violation of national and international human rights laws, media laws, Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution, which pertain to freedom of expression, and every other law that reinforced the idea of freedom of expression.
“You are playing a dangerous game with the people and media of Pakistan.”
She said instead of improving its performance, the government is taking measures to punish journalists and analysts participating in talk shows who inform the nation about its performance.
She warned that laws being framed by the government would eventually work against it.
The ordinance:
The ordinance through which amendments have been made to the Peca is called the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.
Under it, an amendment has been made in Section 20 of Peca, increasing the jail term for defaming any person or institution from three years to five years.
The ordinance also stipulated the insertion of a new section in the act under which a timeline was given for the court to wrap up the case. “The trail shall be concluded expeditiously, but preferably not later than six months of taking cognisance of the case.”
