After the amended Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) came into effect, famous columnist and anchorperson Javed Chaudhry has disclaimed content on his own website and social media page.
The disclaimer added by Javed Chaudhry raised eyebrows of many after the federal government took tougher laws under PECA into effect to curb fake news and hate speech in the country.
The website of the journalist registered to his name, javedch.com, who hosts a political analysis programme of a private news channel Express News, Kal Tak with Javed Chaudhry, added a disclaimer that read, “This page and website is registered to Javed Chaudhry but he is not personally operating it and all levels are being performed by a media team.”
It added, “Javed Chaudhry has no connection with the material (content) being uploaded on the website and page. If anyone has an objection to a story, picture or headline, then the management team can be contacted on the given email.”
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The readers have noticed the disclaimer just after the approval of amendments to the PECA and its promulgation by the federal government for imposing stricter penalties over the spread of fake news and hate content.
PECA promulgation
President Arif Alvi had promulgated two ordinances on Sunday that would bring changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017.
Both laws were signed by the president after the Cabinet approved them. The changes made in the electronic crimes act have been made under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.
Under the ordinance, the definition of a “person” has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person’s “identity” will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years.
The ordinance also states the informant or the complainant shall be “aggrieved person, his authorised representative, or his guardian, where such person is a minor or a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office”.
Cases falling under PECA will be supervised by a high court and the trial court will have to conclude the case within six months, state news agency reported.
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“The court shall submit a monthly progress report of any pending trial to the concerned high court and shall give reasons for the inability of the court to expeditiously conclude the trial,” says the ordinance.
Apart from sending the report to the high courts, copies of the progress report will be sent to the law secretary if the case is registered in the Islamabad Capital Territory. However, if a case is registered in a province, then the copies of the report will be submitted to the “provincial secretaries of prosecution departments, the prosecutor general or advocate general”.
The ordinance also authorises the high court to issue “fresh timelines” of a case if it finds the “reasons” given by the trial court “plausible” and beyond its control. The ordinance also empowers the high courts to summon federal or provincial government officers to remove any “difficulties, hindrances and obstacles” it finds in the case.
If the law secretaries find that the case was delayed due to the “presiding officer or any of its functionaries” then they may inform the high court. If the high court is of the view that the delay in the disposal of a trial is attributable to the presiding officer of the court or any other court functionary then they can initiate or “direct commencement of appropriate disciplinary proceedings.”
The ordinance also empowers the chief justice of every high court to nominate a judge along with other officers.