Your email address will not be published. Is PM Imran Khan Obsessed With The Media? Campuses . But when it happens at home, the people who outrage against brigades in India, look the other way and even celebrate and justify the same acts here. While the FIR against journalist Shahzeb Jillani under PECA was ultimately discharged by the magistrate as C-class, he had to obtain bail, appear before the FIA and do the round of courts. With no accountability, there is no deterrence for the FIA or state to repeat their illegal actions against others, so they flout the law with impunity. Ihtesham Afghan, a Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) activist also discovered there was an FIR against him, through a news report. The charges included sedition but also Section 10 of PECA. SPOTLIGHT | Muzzling Dissent: PECA’s Logical End, Dangerous Colonial Hangover: Time To Repeal Sedition Law. Not just government officials, but Pakistan citizens were critical too. The refusal to conform to the authority or doctrine of an established church; nonconformity. Which court? Tolerance has come to mean disdain for social viewpoints which run contrary to the cultural orthodoxy of the day. What is said online is not completely disconnected from what transpires offline. The pre-trial harassment is harrowing and used as a punishment, to teach those who don’t mind the lines a lesson, to remind them what the consequences can be. Justice Isa is a sitting Supreme Court Justice and was represented by a stellar legal team. Despite being in the middle of an ongoing global pandemic, a crackdown against journalists, political activists and members of opposition appears to be the number one priority for the state in Pakistan. Even in the instances in which challans and FIRs are challenged, or have been quashed or discharged by court, there is no accountability of the FIA. Iran became the world’s leading jailer of journalists in 2009 and has ranked among the world’s worst jailers of the press every year since. translados.org In Toor’s case, the FIR against him was registered in a far-flung tehsil of Rawalpindi. What meaning and practical value do Articles 4 and 10-A of the Constitution have? In the aftermath of the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, both Facebook and Twitter came under heavy criticism and accusations of bias were leveled against the platforms for ‘censoring’ views critical of India’s actions and supportive of Kashmiris at the behest of the Indian government. Three days later, on September 14, 2020, journalist Asad Ali Toor tweeted a news report through which he came to know about an FIR against him. The Congress on Monday accused the central government of “muzzling dissent” and adopting an “ostrich-like approach” by “prosecuting” the newspaper and the journalist who exposed the alleged Aadhaar data breach. Over the last few months, there have been a spate […] Unless concrete changes are made in the law and procedures, there is accountability, and the weapons employed against citizens, journalists, activists and opposition are defanged, resistance merely through public posturing and speeches will inspire little faith. But how is this viable and sustainable? If free expression, democractic freedoms, fundamental rights and the Constitution hold value, repealing sedition, criminal defamation laws, Sections 20 and 37 of PECA, is only a starting point. His disappearance was later attributed to a case of “mistaken identity.” This is similar to journalist Matiullah Jan’s narration of his abduction in July 2020. There also surfaced Twitter users claiming credit for suspending the accounts, warning them not to violate the Rules. Are the liberal elites muzzling dissent? The misuse of sedition laws, the rise of cultural nationalism and muzzling dissent amongst students and activists have contributed to an environment of apprehension and violence. Continue Reading → There is no inquiry into the legality of the summons or FIRs, and resultant investigations – whether due authorisation as per law was obtained and the charge qualifies under the offence. Hi there! The phone call was followed by a summon. Proposals have been laid before them for the decriminalisation of defamation by repealing the laws. In cases constructed against journalists and political activists, the accusation is usually of maligning state institutions, engaging in ‘hate speech’ and ‘defamation’ against them. This has costs attached. As every criticism cannot be contempt of court and hence by the Contempt Court Act 1971, the legislation has tried to define and restrict the meaning of contempt of court. Journalists, journalist unions, rights groups, the Pakistan Bar Council, members of opposition, all issued statements and called for his immediate recovery. The police then informed the family, he was in their custody in connection to an FIR lodged against him. A joint director at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), his car was found parked outside the National Agricultural Research Centre in Chak Shahzad. It has the effect of muting their criticisms, meaning consensus is the most likely outcome as the election approaches. Four years on, disqualified politicians find themselves censored in a stifled mainstream media. The illusion that rule of law prevails or that protections under the law and Constitution are readily available to all, or the notion that surely the FIA and state “won’t go that far,” has finally shattered. On October 24, 2020, Mian Dawood, a Lahore-based lawyer and court reporter, tweeted a ‘notice of attendance u/s 160’ he received from the FIA, requiring him to present himself before the authority. Certain other gifts, real property, personal property, in-kind gifts, non-liquid securities, and contributions whose sources are not transparent or whose use is restricted in some manner, must be reviewed prior to acceptance due to the special obligations raised or liabilities they may pose for Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). This does not mean other laws will not be misused or powers abused. Acceptance of any contribution, gift or grant is at the discretion of the Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). By midnight the same day, Jan was home. They were granted bail but, like Mehsud, the High Court rejected Wazir’s bail application too. He said there was discussion on it, but the vice-chancellor did not take their views into consideration. The response from government officials was not just deflective but accusatory, painting themselves as victims, saying they were being “singled out.” A follow up statement endorsing the first and pointing towards a culture of abuse prevalent in all political parties was also issued. It took a long drawn out process to arrive at this conclusion. Gifts of in-kind services will be accepted at the discretion of the Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). In August 2020, a statement on attacks on women in the media drew attention towards sustained attacks against them, which ranged from hacking attempts to sexualised slurs and even rape and death threats, leading many to self-censor and even question whether they should step back from journalism. Democracy And Development: Why Pakistan Democratic Movement Matters? It has even been compared to North Korean media for its extreme pro-government affinity and muzzling of dissent, and America’s Fox News which practises biased reporting in favour of the Republican Party. Coming out of one harrowing experience, opening up a new front is not a privilege many enjoy. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said authorities had closed the site since last week when they shut 54 news portals and websites for what they claimed were security reasons. Aggressive breeds must wear muzzles when they are … 2 : to differ in opinion Three of the justices dissented from the majority opinion. The police have no jurisdiction to register and prosecute cases under PECA. With a summon out, there is a risk of escalation. 38SharesDespite being in the middle of an ongoing global pandemic, a crackdown against journalists, political activists and members of opposition appears to be the number one priority for the state in Pakistan. The Public Broadcasting Network (PBN) will provide acknowledgments to donors meeting tax requirements for property received by the charity as a gift. It was under the PML-N government that PECA was introduced. This is the 656th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Sharif’s FIR sparked a lot of debate on the misuse and misapplication of sedition laws. There was much skepticism regarding claims made by digital rights and human rights groups, about what it may lead to, and the impact it would have on speech. v.t. 18C and the Left’s Muzzling of Dissent. When on September 4, 2020, he did not return, his mother filed a habeas corpus petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for recovery. Sarnaik's move caused shouting and sloganeering from several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including Devendra Fadnavis who, accused the "ruling coalition of adopting a two-faced approach when it came to freedom of expression of the media and also alleged that the government was muzzling voices of dissent in the media." The burden then falls upon those accused to point out the legal flaws through court challenges and navigate the bureaucracy that comes with it. 2. the mouth, or end for discharge, of the barrel of a gun, pistol, etc. The idea of the Tories not appearing tough on unpleasant gang members with their violent dogs is simply unthinkable. While two separate cases, the FIRs were uncanningly similar. Posted by Lyle Shelton on September 29, 2019 Making some people unworthy of participation does not help debate. L'ultima cosa che il Ministro dell'Interno vuole fare è imbavagliare la stampa. Sometimes there are FIRs and sometimes there are summons in connection with ‘inquiries and investigations’. Under PECA, both are non-cognizable and require the court’s permission but are often applied in conjunction with Section 10, a cognizable section under PECA, or then other cognizable sections of the PPC. An FIR was lodged by Syed’s brother, stating he had gone to a bakery near the house and did not return. And yet, none of this prevented the harassment he and his family were subjected to during this time. Discussion in 'The Study' started by jks9199, Jun 8, 2014. Accused of ‘hate speech’ and ‘defamatory’ remarks against state institutions, Farooqi was charged under Sections 500 and 505 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Sections 11 and 20 of PECA. At the time it was FIA’s counter-terrorism wing which issued summons. This was ironic given the “silent PM” jibes he took at former prime minister Manm… Below is a massive list of dissent words - that is, words related to dissent. After all, in most cases, the objective is to exhaust the other party and send a message to others to maintain silence or face similar consequences. Law A judicial opinion reaching a conclusion contrary to that reached by the majority of judges deciding a case; a minority opinion. It’s taken all this for the realisation to sink in all around, what the gravity of the situation is. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 is the weapon of choice. Platform manipulation through en masse reporting of selected accounts and tweets to stifle dissenting opinions has emerged as a new threat to expression. The literal meaning of contempt is to criticize. Alamgir Wazir was charged with sedition along with several others in Lahore. b : something (such as … It took public outcry, media attention, notice by the human rights committee of the National Assembly and for his legal team to argue the merits and demerits of the charges before court, for the case to finally come to an end. Speaking about his abduction in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, MJTV, Jan said he was released after his abductors seemed to “realise” they had the wrong person. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. He was in the ‘northern areas’ with friends and did not have signals, is one version. It took an increase in the number of cases and for them to be lodged against those from the same fraternity, class, ideological bent, ethnicity etc, for there to be some awakening and acceptance of what is happening, and the scale it exists on. The writer is a freelance contributor with an interest in religion. This, in addition to routine requests by the government – through PTA – to restrict content on one pretext or the other, as reflected in platform reports. Laws restricting free speech are therefore the antithesis of democracy, … Alamzeb Mehsud was charged in Karachi and spent months in jail before the Supreme Court granted him bail. More often, such states have become predatory, maintaining some order but also arresting opponents, muzzling dissent, nationalizing industries, and confiscating property. Later, the cybercrime wing detained social media activists associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) – then in opposition – and registered FIRs against journalists. After Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the All Parties Conference, an FIR was registered against the PML-N leader and several other party members. Comment moderation is enabled. He first had to apply for protective/transitory bail before the IHC, then travel to the relevant court in Pindi and obtain pre-arrest bail there. The Public Broadcasting Network (PBN) will refrain from providing advice about the tax or other treatment of gifts and will encourage donors to seek guidance from their own professional advisers to assist them in the process of making their donation. Julia Baird and the tactics of muzzling dissent; Julia Baird and the muzzling of dissent. Modi effectively cut off all communication with the media after coming to power in 2014, choosing instead to direct his messaging through tweets, radio programmes like Mann Ki Baat and fluffy staged interviews with pliant journalists. Most curious of all has been the addition of Section 37 of PECA to FIRs, which is not even an offence but an overbroad power given to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to regulate online content. On October 1, 2020 a summon issued to journalist Arshad Sulehri was tweeted by Jan. As Sulehri was in the process of filing a petition, his house was raided. Speech under Section 11 (Hate speech) must be ‘interfaith, sectarian or racial’ in nature. Yet, the FIRs against Toor and others were registered by the police. In some cases there were reversals and accounts were restored. As has become practice in many instances, the summon was sent via Whatsapp. 9th July 2014; Comments (1) Jeremy Sammut. AMONG other dysfunctional and anti-people characteristics of states that claim to be governing Muslim populations, one is the muzzling of free speech, dissent with the state or traditional religious narrative and open dialogue and debate. Common in the recent FIRs is the use of Sections 499 and 500 of the PPC and/or Section 20 of PECA – a non-cognizable offence. Turned out though, it was not in response to a direct government report but user reports citing impersonation under Twitter’s own Rules, that led to the suspension of the accounts. When FIA harassment is challenged before courts, typically they issue directions saying “no coercive action.” However, litigants are still directed to join the investigation which means appearing at the FIA office for questioning. Laws restricting free speech are therefore the antithesis of democracy, and they represent the … Notices are not always sent by post but via Whatsapp or other social media channels. There emerged a visible pattern: accounts of those affiliated with the PTM, AWP, Women’s Democratic Front and journalists – all those who were using social media to raise the issue of Pashteen’s arrest and the arrest of protestors in Islamabad – became targets. On several occasions, the Human Rights Committees of the National Assembly and Senate have taken up the issue of FIA’s excesses. FIA routinely issues summons without first obtaining the court’s permission as required under PECA and its Rules. To understand this, political economists differentiate between two competing forms of power: de jure versus de facto power. These sections are not found in challans or FIRs and even if they were, are not applicable to speech except Section 9, which also lists applicable categories similar to Section 11. Responding to anti-Israel campus activities 'is also free speech,' says ADL in … ... as different interests compete to shape and define its collective meaning through the political process. In some cases the chilling effect is visible. Each time a citizen goes “missing,” is arrested, has an FIR lodged against them or is summoned, depending on the profile of the individual, the network they are plugged into, politics of the day and ability of others to raise their voice for them, how soon they return and what eventually happens to the case against them, if often dependent on these variables. Which way this settles and for how long, remains to be seen. How is a trial supposed to be fair without a fair investigation. There are several others and they are all still pending. The petitioners and counsels in those are well-known names within the legal fraternity; bar associations and councils became a party. After concerted hashtag campaigns against the Aurat Marches, organisers and participants in Islamabad were attacked. The Public Broadcasting Network (PBN) will not accept any gift unless it can be used or expended consistently with the purpose and mission of the Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). It issues standard-template notices of attendance – when it’s not a phone call. The investigation officer, when questioned by the court, said it was merely a ‘visit’ to confirm his home address. In 2020, the second wave of this crackdown continues under the PTI government. Critics pointed out that an FIR for sedition cannot be registered without the permission of the Federal Government. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 is the weapon of choice. During advocacy against PECA in 2015, members of opposition but also many within the journalist and legal fraternity undermined the threat it posed. an arrangement of straps or wires, placed over an animal's mouth to prevent the animal from biting, eating, etc. Will the FIA and PTA be held to account for their excesses using powers available to parliamentary committees and its members, to seek answers and check abuse? In June 2020, Senator Raza Rabbani moved a private members bill in the Senate to abolish sedition. In most instances, those summoned or charged in FIRs do not know the specific content the complaint is in relation to. Bizarre also was the explanation in Sajid Gondal’s case. In August, journalist Imad Zafar tweeted about a call he received from the deputy director of the FIA in relation to a complaint against him by General (retd) Amjad Shoaib. 5. to restrain from speech, the expression of opinion, etc. Picked up at 9pm on October 21, 2020, he was released the next day in the early hours, around 4am. None of this is new. The Public Broadcasting Network (PBN) will not compensate, whether through commissions, finders' fees, or other means, any third party for directing a gift or a donor to the Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). Definition of muzzle. The Sindh government and police took immediate notice. After much public outrage, calls for recovery and investigation into his disappearance, Syed returned home after nearly a day. Locally, this was witnessed in February 2020, following the arrest of PTM’s Manzoor Pashteen in Pakistan. 3. a device, usu. 3. The muzzling of the right: Coming to a House Committee near you ... no one has an exact definition because fascism is loosely defined, and often gets hurled as a dissent-killing insult, ... and well-meaning community organizations to lose their opportunity to participate in this cherished annual Oregon tradition. TNN / Jan 9, 2018, 06:00 IST. Govt muzzling dissent with Aadhaar FIR, says Congress. อม้า, Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, Nuzzle Up to Muzzles: Why and how every dog should learn to love wearing a muzzle, CHIP VICTORY IN BATTLE TO HALT DANGER DOG ATTACKS; KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE RECORD CAMPAIGN FORCES CHANGE Government pledge action but mums of victims insist they'll fight on for muzzling, No to muzzles; You Say Email:letters@liverpoolecho.co.uk. Muzzling the media . Initiating fresh proceedings against the FIA is not something everyone is in a position to do. These aspects require consideration at the preliminary stages of a case. In January 2020, those protesting the arrest of Manzoor Pashteen in Islamabad were rounded up, arrested and put in jail. ... Oliver explained, “frivolous suits with no legal merit specifically designed to stifle public debate or dissent. No irrevocable gift, whether outright or life-income in character, will be accepted if under any reasonable set of circumstances the gift would jeopardize the donor’s financial security. To date, there is no acknowledgment nor traction on codes of conduct for party members. The sedition case against them is ongoing. A copy of the complaint, despite requests, is never provided, unless these directions are issued by the court. In the case of an FIR, bail is required – set at an amount determined by court – which means additional costs. Muzzling voices, silencing dissent By Guest on 1:44 am April 27, 2020 No Comment Share on Facebook Follow on Facebook Add to Google+ Connect … On October 28, 2020, Executive Editor of AwamiKhabarnama.com, Umair Solangi, tweeted he was illegally detained by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) cybercrime wing. With respect to anonymous gifts, the Public Broadcasting Network (PBN) will restrict information about the donor to only those staff members with a need to know. Reliance is placed on the Equustek litigation, wherein an order to remove content was passed by the Courts in … The first crackdown under it was led by then Minister for Interior, Chaudhry Nisar, in 2017. Sections 11 and 20 of PECA are frequently added to FIRs. In reply to the opposition from BJP leaders, Anil Parab supporting … PECA cases against Professor Ismail, Hayat Preghal, Ismail Mehsud and Dr Abdul Hai are the more well known ones. All legal and extra-legal tools available are being employed against dissidents. Your comment may take some time to appear. Continue Reading → How Central Asian States are muzzling dissent to stop the spread of news about Covid-19 (Part 2) Imposing new restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and of association On 25 February, Dulat Agadil, a civil society activist in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, died in police. While PECA requires a warrant for search and seizure of devices, this is also a provision under the law FIA pays no heed to and violates. John Oliver takes on muzzling lawsuits – and the man who sued his show. Citizenship Amendment Act protests: Internet ban in parts of North East tantamount to muzzling voices of dissent The Citizenship Amendment Act seeks to amend, among other things, the criteria for illegal immigrants ... Ashtami, meaning 'the eighth', is dedicated to Goddess Mahagauri, one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga. Nigerian Government Muzzling Dissenting Voices - Amnesty International - Politics - Nairaland ... Amnesty International has said that Nigeria is trying to muzzle dissent by arresting and intimidating journalists and protesters. There is always the threat of cancellation of bail. Or emails by platforms such as Twitter, informing users “official correspondence” was received that their tweet was violation of “local law.”. The accused in a criminal case has to appear at every hearing. Yet third parties routinely file complaints about the ‘harm to reputation’ caused to state institutions or officials, and these result in summons and FIRs. Pro-Palestinians Accuse Israel Advocates of Muzzling Dissent on U.S. Continue Reading → Prior to his disappearance, Jan was also issued a contempt notice by the Supreme Court, for a tweet about the Supreme’s Court’s short order in Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s case. No surprise then that when on September 9, 2020, journalist Bilal Farooqi was taken from his house in Karachi, the immediate reaction was he had ‘disappeared,’ creating a social media frenzy. Now the question is, what does Pakistan Democratic Movement have to offer in parliament through its members? Two days later, on September 11, 2020, an FIR was lodged against journalist and former PEMRA chairperson Absar Alam, under Sections 124-A (sedition), 131, 499 and 505 of the PPC, and 20 of PECA. However, except for gifts of cash and publicly traded securities, no value shall be ascribed to any receipt or other form of substantiation of a gift received by Public Broadcasting Network (PBN). While journalists remain on the radar this time around too, the leader of the largest opposition party hailing from the heart of Punjab has been charged under a law his own government bulldozed through parliament with a two-thirds majority, and which his interior minister first weaponised against against journalists and members of opposition – PTI’s social media workers – for spreading “anti-state” and “anti-institution” content on social media. Their cases are still pending. 18C and the Left’s Muzzling of Dissent. Registering an FIR and adding a cognizable section of the law means circumventing court and the ability to arrest. Justice and was represented by a stellar legal team means circumventing court and ability! His abduction drew immediate outrage, statements by international and local groups, and calls for and... Syed returned home after nearly a day Broadcasting Network ( PBN ) provide! 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