State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Anusha Rehman blamed NGOs for weakening the Cyber Crime Law while saying it has shortcomings.
“Cyber Crime Law has been weakened and not remains even 40 percent of the original draft, after some NGOs [who had vested interest] raised the issue while quoting attack on freedom of expression”, said the Minister while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication.
The committee met with Shahi Syed in the chair here on Wednesday.
She further stated that Data Protection Act will be introduced which would protect consumers data and nobody would use it without prior permission.
It maybe recalled that Cyber Crime Law was first drafted in 2012 but was shelved mainly due to opposition from civil society.
It was later tabled by PML(N) during its current tenure but was shelved again amid protests from civil society and activists. Later on, with several amendments, it was finally passed last year and currently enacted with not much implementation.
FIA, the designated authority to deal with the cyber crimes, lacks resources [human, financial and tools] to deal with increasing amount of complaints they get on daily basis.
Bibi yeah NGOs Iraq syria wire crimes pay baat kyoo nahee kartee… western world mai freedom off expression ki kahania kyoo nahee sunatee,, Snowdown kay inkashaf pay ahtajaj kyoo nahee kartee… Ju mulk kay liyaa sochtay hai woo NGOs ki nahee suntay… Like Modi demonetization…!!
What are you talking about? You can find lots of NGOs in other countries including West doing all the things you say: bringing up issue of war crimes, bringing up issue of Western support for rebels, bringing up issue of dead civilians due to Western actions. Not only that, but they also take Western governments to court (and even sometimes win cases).
In fact, one of the main reasons why security on the web exists is because NGOs fought with government authorities in the west! Encryption technology used to be available only to a few people.
You are blind if you don’t know this.
I know more then you, better you should know about Prism and dont consider that you can befool everyone…!! Is bush behind bar for no reason waging war on iraq and killing millions of innocents…!! Better government should check source of Funding of these NGOs and they will come to know about wolf in sheep clothing..!!
Much of the opposition to Iraq war, with hundreds of thousands of protestors on streets of cities, was because of NGOs
Much of the analysis of Prism and related NSA leaks was also by NGOs.
Yes, you are blind.
This minister is not being 100% honest. Force her to name the clauses
in the law that were weakened or removed under pressure from NGOs and you will see. She will not name them.
Cyber crime law and other laws are actual ANTI-PEOPLE laws of Pakistan!
What is their provision for personal privacy? NONE
What is their provision for data security of Pakistani citizens? NONE
What is government’s response to fact that GCHQ have hacked PTCL core routers? NOTHING.
NGOs in Pakistan want actions for all the above. Government has NEVER and WILL NEVER enact such legislation to protect Pakistani citizens from Pakistani government without being pushed by NGOs.
In Pakistan, ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY IS AGAINST THE LAW. Remember that.
What a load of crap by the minister. The cyber crime law draft that was prepared with ALL stakeholders including NGOs/Civil Society, military, intelligence agencies, ministry, opposition and relevant stakeholders from academia and corporate was so thorough that it was truly fully functioning Cyber Crime Law.
The minister herself shelved that law, removed several well defined clauses to bring in murky ones with zero definitions, made investigation procedures ambiguous rather than detailed and made government virtually unquestionable in handing out extreme punishments for the smallest of offences … and some of these offences aren’t even offenses.
Seriously, I mean criticizing a government official over social media can land you in jail for defaming the integrity of a natural person because you don’t have broadcast media license? That was a clause from HER MINISTRY and not from civil society or NGOs, because the draft they had prepared with every stakeholder included clear definitions of natural person, public figures and what constitutes an offense.
Rather than owning up her own screw-ups she is putting blame on NGOs and civil society.
It seems the government has practically failed to implement the cyber crime bill in the country. That is why, the Ministry IT is complaining with one pretext or the other that the NGO’s are the hurdles in implementation of the bill. However, the bill was framed taking all the stakeholders in confidence in which the NGO’s were one of them. It is a great surprising if the governments perspective is accepted that NGOs first assisted in framing the law later when time came of implementation is being opposed having shortcomings in the same law. So what we maintain the credibility or mentality approach. If the bill was not first framed was being criticized over the government for having no law on cyber and when it has been passed by assemblies is not followed and created the hurdles.
Huge IT professionals manpower are working in various government departments and have the ability and professionally posses the expertise relevant to IT security field should be invited on deputation basis.
Though whatever is the problem there i would like to appreciate the efforts of IT Minister who has worked good in the interest of the country.