The administrator of a WhatsApp group in Pakpattan was arrested on Friday for allegedly violating the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (Peca) by permitting an insulting post targeting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to be shared in the group.
According to a first information report (FIR) dated Thursday, which has been seen by Dawn.com, a post insulting Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and using “dirty language” was created and uploaded to a WhatsApp group.
The suspect “deliberately uploaded an immoral, insulting post on social media, while the [group admin], knowing that the said post was immoral, offensive and illegal, did not delete it, but rather gave the opportunity to other group members to see the post,” the FIR read, alleging that the admin was trying to “spread chaos among the public”.
A case was registered against the suspect and the group admin under Section 20 (Offences against the dignity of a natural person) of Peca and Section 509 (Insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Meanwhile, Pakpattan District Police Officer Javed Chaddar issued a statement confirming the arrest of the group admin in “the first case registered under the Peca act in Pakpattan”.
“A suspect posted a malicious and insulting post against the chief minister of Punjab in the WhatsApp group,” DPO Chaddar said. “The group administrator has been arrested.”
According to the statement, the DPO took notice of the post once it went viral on social media and ordered Farid Nagar police to track down and arrest the group admin and the suspected user who uploaded the post.
“Further investigation is underway,” the statement concluded.
Peca, since its introduction in 2016, has been widely criticised as a black law created mainly to punish dissent. In the eight years since its enactment, it has been used extensively against politicians, journalists, rights activists, and even ordinary political workers.
The National Assembly on Thursday passed a controversial amendment bill to the country’s cybercrime laws amid a walkout by PTI lawmakers and journalists from the proceedings.
Thursday’s bill proposed a new provision, Section 26(A), to penalise perpetrators of “fake news” online, that said: “Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years or with fine which may extend to Rs2m or with both.”
