Monitoring overreach?
The Sindh Police is aware of the PTA and FIA’s mandate and claims they are not on a collision course
In a world where technology is ubiquitous and the lines between virtual and real lives are all but gone, it has created a challenge for the law-enforcement agencies to not only tackle crimes in a new dimension but also alter the way they investigate the regular crime.
The Sindh Police has decided to set up a technical team of trained professionals under its anti-terror wing to monitor all digital platforms amid their growing use for “promotion of the ideology of hatred, anti-state activism and militancy.” The plan follows a series of steps undertaken by the federal government and institutions, including the primary regulators of the country’s digital sphere in the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), where “the infiltration of anti-state elements and promoters of different ideologies which cannot be dubbed pro-nationalism” have sparked concerns, necessitating immediate and strong measures.
The Sindh Police is aware of the PTA and FIA’s mandate and claims they are not on a collision course. Instead, Raja Umer Khattab of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) says they will add value to overall efforts of different agencies acting against, “hatred, terrorism, violence and militancy”. This is a far cry from the similar-sounding ‘social media’ desks set up by the Punjab Police to track regular criminal suspects who work more to solve crimes like how the Karachi Police recently tracked down a couple of phone snatchers after the selfies they took with the stolen phone were posted online.
While the CTD believes it will complement other investigating agencies, the concern is who will monitor these monitors. With those who ask for their fundamental rights easily labelled as anti-state online, such power at the official level could easily be abused. The Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2016 is not perfect, but law enforcers must work with it, as must the public.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2019.
The Sindh Police has decided to set up a technical team of trained professionals under its anti-terror wing to monitor all digital platforms amid their growing use for “promotion of the ideology of hatred, anti-state activism and militancy.” The plan follows a series of steps undertaken by the federal government and institutions, including the primary regulators of the country’s digital sphere in the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), where “the infiltration of anti-state elements and promoters of different ideologies which cannot be dubbed pro-nationalism” have sparked concerns, necessitating immediate and strong measures.
The Sindh Police is aware of the PTA and FIA’s mandate and claims they are not on a collision course. Instead, Raja Umer Khattab of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) says they will add value to overall efforts of different agencies acting against, “hatred, terrorism, violence and militancy”. This is a far cry from the similar-sounding ‘social media’ desks set up by the Punjab Police to track regular criminal suspects who work more to solve crimes like how the Karachi Police recently tracked down a couple of phone snatchers after the selfies they took with the stolen phone were posted online.
While the CTD believes it will complement other investigating agencies, the concern is who will monitor these monitors. With those who ask for their fundamental rights easily labelled as anti-state online, such power at the official level could easily be abused. The Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act 2016 is not perfect, but law enforcers must work with it, as must the public.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2019.