The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution seeking “severe punishment” for “malicious and negative propaganda” against the armed forces.

The resolution, moved by PPP Senator Bahramanad Khan Tangi, earlier demanded a decade-long disqualification from public office for those “found involved in negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies of Pakistan”.

However, during the session today, Tangi said he had amended the resolution to remove the demand for a decade-long disqualification and sought action as per the law.

The resolution expressed deep concern over the “negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies on various social media platforms”.

It highlighted the “huge sacrifices of armed forces and other security agencies in the war against terror and for the defence and protection of the country’s borders” and acknowledges that a “strong army and other security agencies are indispensable for the defence of the country especially in view of the hostile neighbourhood”.

The Senate of Pakistan, therefore, recommends that the government takes necessary steps to award severe punishment as per law for all those found involved in negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces and other security agencies of Pakistan, the resolution added.

Earlier, the day’s agenda — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — said caretaker ministers would present a number of bills in the Senate, besides laying resolutions and motions before the Upper House of the Parliament.

Among the bills were the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024, Wapda University Islamabad Bill, 2023, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Fatal Accidents (Amendment) Bill, 2023, National Excellence Institute Bill, 2024, Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

At the previous Senate session, which was convened on Friday, the house was adjourned without transacting any business. The reason was the lack of quorum or in other words lack of interest in the proceedings by members.

Earlier, on the first day of the new session on December 27, the members had barred the caretaker government from laying bills and ordinances, saying with less than two months in elections, what was the urgency in transacting such business by a caretaker set-up.