Maulana Fazlur Rehman Criticizes President Zardari’s Signing of PICA Amendment Bill

Islamabad:The leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has expressed strong discontent over President Asif Ali Zardari’s signing of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PICA) Amendment Bill, despite a prior commitment to listen to the journalists’ stance.

Speaking in Islamabad, Maulana Fazl stated that President Zardari had earlier assured that the concerns of journalists would be heard, acknowledging the JUI’s position on the matter. He recalled that the President had even mentioned that Mohsin Naqvi would come to Pakistan and engage with journalists on the issue. However, Maulana Fazl revealed that to their surprise, the next morning, it was learned that the President had already signed the bill into law.

Maulana Fazl reiterated that while the JUI supports measures to curb fake news, they are concerned about the potential misuse of the current law. He questioned why similar concerns regarding the potential abuse of laws had not led to the postponement of other legislation, specifically laws endorsed by the establishment.

It is noteworthy that the PICA Amendment Bill was signed into law by President Zardari yesterday, turning it into an official piece of legislation.

In response, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has called for a nationwide protest tomorrow against the PICA Amendment Bill, criticizing its implications on press freedom.