December 14, 2024
By Rehan Piracha and Rana Malhi
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the arrest orders of 150 journalists under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), accusing them of spreading a false narrative against state institutions — in particular against security agencies over the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) supporters on November 26 in the federal capital.
In a sweeping strike, the FIA has initiated legal action against the list of 150, including journalists, vloggers, and an anchorperson. The accusation against them was that they had been propagating a false narrative against state institutions in connection with the November 26 crackdown in Islamabad. The FIA’s Cybercrime Wing has already arrested over 20 social media activists from across the country, accusing them of spreading controversial posts about alleged deaths during the crackdown.
The arrests come amid heightened political tensions and a government-led effort to combat what officials describe as ‘fake news’. News reports said earlier that the FIA had lodged cases against dozens of individuals under various sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). These include Sections 9, 10, 11, and 24, which pertain to incitement, defamation, and dissemination of false information.
Among those accused is Harmeet Singh, a Sikh journalist, who, according to the First Information Report (FIR), propagated a false narrative between November 24 and 27 that allegedly incited violence against state institutions.
PFUJ demands the withdrawal of cases
In a statement issued in Islamabad on December 14, the PFUJ demanded immediate withdrawal of the arrest orders against journalists, including Asif Bashir Choudhary, General Secretary of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalist (RIUJ), and anchorperson Harmeet Singh, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari urged the authorities to respect the fundamental rights of journalists and media workers.
The PFUJ also called for a thorough investigation into the matter and sought guarantees for the safety and security of journalists.
“We strongly condemn the harassment and arrest of journalists for simply doing their job,” the PFUJ office-bearers said in the statement. “This is a blatant attack on press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan and depicts the authoritarian mindset of so-called elected government.”
The PFUJ reiterated that the media did not support fake news. However, there is a procedure to register a case against the violator of the law which should be followed in totality before proceeding against journalists, the PFUJ said.
“The PFUJ stands in solidarity with the affected journalists and will continue to fight for their rights and freedom,” the PFUJ leaders concluded.
Butt told Voicepk that the FIA did not follow the law and procedure for lodging cases against journalists under the cybercrime law.
“We don’t consider journalists or media workers above the law but the FIA has to issue notices to journalists against whom complaints are brought but it did not do so,” the PFUJ president said. These FIRs should be withdrawn and the FIA should follow the laid procedure to proceed against journalists after thorough investigation, he added.
‘FIA has still not contacted or shared FIR with me’: Harmeet
Speaking with Voicepk, Harmeet Singh said the FIA officials registered an FIR against him on December 6 but still had not contacted him regarding their investigation or shared the FIR with him.
“I came to know of the FIR against me from news reports and was able to get hold of a copy from my sources in the FIA,” he said. Singh said his lawyers were able to secure his pre-arrest bail from the court in the cyber law case till Monday (December 16).
Singh denied charges listed in the FIR of allegedly propagating a false narrative about the events from Nov 24 to 27, inciting violence against state institutions.
“I only reported on the events happening there and did not incite violence against state institutions during my reporting,” he told Voicepk. He alleged that the FIR might have been filed in response to his reporting, which did not align with the narrative the government wanted to present to the public.
Singh said the issue of the FIRs against journalists has dented efforts to portray Pakistan’s positive image to the world. He said the journalists would not be deterred from reporting wrongdoings and mistakes committed by the government which was bound to take measures for their corrections.
“Journalists in Pakistan had continued to report in times of repressive regimes like that of Gen Musharraf despite threats and intimidations,” he said, adding that the journalists have survived but the authoritarian rulers and regimes have perished in history.
Other prominent figures named in the FIR include journalists and vloggers such as Ahmad Noorani, Imran Khatana, Rizwan Ahmad Khan, Salman Durrani, and Aroosa Nadim, among others. The FIA claims these individuals used social media platforms to malign security agencies and spread disinformation about the November 26 events.
The PTI claimed that 12 of its supporters were killed during the protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, a charge the government has strongly denied. The protest was held to demand the release of PTI’s incarcerated leader and former prime minister, Imran Khan. In response to the allegations, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the formation of a joint task force to investigate and hold accountable those spreading misinformation about the incident.
The government has maintained that no fatalities occurred during the crackdown and has vowed strict action against individuals spreading misinformation. The arrests and legal actions are part of a broader effort to curb what the government sees as a deliberate campaign to tarnish the reputation of state institutions.