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Critics of Pakistan armed forces to face jail or fine of up to Rs 5 lakh
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Critics of Pakistan armed forces to face jail or fine of up to Rs 5 lakh
Omer Farooq Khan / TNN / Apr 9, 2021, 04:30 IST
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly (NA) panel has passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020, aimed at penalizing anyone on charges of hatred and disrespectful behaviour against the country’s armed forces.
The bill was referred to NA’s standing committee on interior on September 15, 2020, following its introduction in the lower house by a lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), after opposition leaders, specifically former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had directly blamed the security establishment for all problems faced by the country.
Highlights
Imran Khan government in Pakistan has come up with a law against those who criticize the Pakistani army.
Provision for 2 years in jail and fine of Rs 5 lakh for criticism in the new bill.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s National Assembly (NA) panel on Wednesday (April 7) passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which aims at penalizing anyone over the charges of disrespectful behaviour against the nation’s armed forces.
The panel has endorsed a controversial law to criminalise any criticism or ridicule of the powerful armed forces with a two-year imprisonment or fine up to Rs 5 lakh or both.
The legislation was adopted by the National Assembly Standing Committee despite sharp criticism by the Opposition parties which called it ultra vires of the fundamental rights.
‘Ridiculous idea’, Fawad says after NA body approved bill criminalising criticism of army
Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said it was “absolutely ridiculous” to criminalise criticism, a day after a lower house panel passed a bill proposing stern punishment for disrespecting the armed forces.
The minister was responding to a tweet by a senior journalist, who while commenting on the bill passed by the National Assembly committee, taunted that citizens were free to criticise the parliament, politicians and media “but the rest is national interest”.
Fawad wrote that it was an absolutely ridiculous idea to criminalise criticism.
Article
Pak PM Imran’s 2 senior ministers oppose law seeking 2-yr jail term for anyone critical of armed forces
While the government enjoys a majority in the NA, the Opposition controls the Senate.Often, the bills opposed by the Opposition parties at committee stage are killed in the Senate.PTI | Islamabad | Updated: 09-04-2021 18:18 IST | Created: 09-04-2021 18:18 IST
Two senior federal ministers in Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Cabinet have voiced their opposition to a controversial law which seeks to criminalise any criticism or ridicule of the country s powerful armed forces with a two-year imprisonment or fine up to Rs 50,000 or both.