NA panel tasks sub-committee to finalise cybercrime bill within two weeks

Digital rights body claims panel chairman had not passed on the proposed legislation to Parliament

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Wednesday formed a four member sub-committee to review, amend and finalise the draft of a new cybercrime bill.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology tasked the sub-committee to complete its review of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill of Pakistan 2015 within two weeks.

On Wednesday, a draft of the bill was presented before the Standing Committee for approval as it met under the chairmanship of Captain (Retd) Muhammad Safdar.

The bill proposes harsh penalties for violators while imposing restrictions on freedom of expression and giving security agencies wide powers of digital surveillance.

Rights group Digital Rights Foundation, in its comments on the draft bill, claimed that apparently Captain (retd) Safdar had not passed on the proposed legislation to parliament.

“In our previous comments we have mentioned that while this draft law contains welcome procedural safeguards, quite a number of provisions violate international standards on freedom of expression and endangers free speech and it lacks procedural safeguards against surveillance activities carried out by intelligence agencies particularly Federal Investigation Agency.”