Some clarity would help

A week after the interior minister ordered a crackdown on social media activists for running a sustained campaign against the military and other state institutions, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been rounding up suspects and questioning them about their tweets and posts since late last week. The move has been fiercely contested by the country’s leading opposition parties. One of them, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has vowed to take legal action against the government for mounting the crackdown under which a little over 200 social media accounts were initially put under the microscope. Only 18 of the 200 are currently being treated as offenders for their part in spreading negative material against the army and other institutions, according to the FIA.

As the fog over the crackdown is beginning to clear, the scale of the FIA operation appears to be much smaller than feared by political and rights activists. Fewer suspects also appear to indicate that despite the allegedly irreverent and unpatriotic online posts, there is little or no evidence of a malevolent and sustained campaign against state institutions.

The authorities say they have invoked the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act, an anti-cybercrime law that was passed last August, for the first time in a sweeping action against members of the political opposition. Barely two out of the two dozen PTI supporters picked up by the authorities have been charged under the law though. One of the suspects has been accused of sharing a satirical picture of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Both the PTI suspects are out on bail. A local journalist working with a foreign media outlet has also been investigated though he has refused to comply with an informal FIA request to explain his social media activity.

There are two striking observations to be made about the FIA action: though a whole week has passed since the measures were announced and limited action taken, yet no honest attempt has been made to either mollify the opposition parties or ease the fears of the vast number of social media users. There is also confusion over how the FIA can determine whether or not the suspects are operating an organised online campaign. It’s fair to ask for more clarity on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2017.

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