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The bill, which was passed by the lower house of parliament last
Thursday, grants the government extensive powers to impose heavy
fines and incarcerate social media users for spreading
disinformation.
The approval on Tuesday by the Senate removes the last obstacle
in the bill’s path. It will now be sent to the President Asif
Ali Zardari, who is likely to sign it quickly.
Under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, authorities would
create an agency with the power to order the immediate blocking
of content deemed “unlawful and offensive” from social media,
such as content critical of judges, the armed forces, parliament
or provincial assemblies.
Those failing to comply could face temporary or permanent bans.
The law also makes spreading disinformation a criminal offense,
punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 2 million
rupees ($7,150).
The latest development comes days after National Assembly passed
it despite protests by the opposition. On Tuesday, Shibli Faraz,
an opposition leader in the Senate, opposed the bill, saying it
was being passed in a haste and without consulting all the
stake-holders.
Zulfiqar Bukhari, a spokesman for former Prime Minister Imran
Khan, said their Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, would
challenge the legislation in the court. "The bill has been
passed from the both houses of the parliament to silence the
freedom of expression on the pretext of combating fake news, and
no democracy-lover can support it,” he said in a statement.
Pakistan's media has faced growing censorship in recent years,
but the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the law
is necessary to limit the spread of disinformation.
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