Public office holders will now be able to campaign in polls; Courts to wrap up PECA crimes within 6 months
\nPresident Arif Alvi signed two ordinances on Sunday making changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017
\n Islamabad
\nBoth laws were signed by the president after the Cabinet approved them. The changes made in the electronic crimes act have been made under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Ordinance, 2022.
\nUnder the ordinance, the definition of a \u201cperson\u201d has been broadened to include any company, association, institution, organisation, authority, or any other. Furthermore, anyone found guilty of attacking a person\u2019s \u201cidentity\u201d will now be sentenced to five years instead of three years.
\nThe ordinance also states the informant or the complainant shall be \u201caggrieved person, his authorised representative, or his guardian, where such person is a minor or a member of the public in respect of a public figure or a holder of public office\u201d.
\nCases falling under PECA will be supervised by a high court and the trial court will have to conclude the case within six months.
\n\u201cThe court shall submit a monthly progress report of any pending trial to the concerned high court and shall give reasons for the inability of the court to expeditiously conclude the trial,\u201d says the ordinance.
\nApart from sending the report to the high courts, copies of the progress report will be sent to the law secretary if the case is registered in the Islamabad Capital Territory. However, if a case is registered in a province, then the copies of the report will be submitted to the \u201cprovincial secretaries of prosecution departments, the prosecutor general or advocate general\u201d.
\nThe ordinance also authorises the high court to issue \u201cfresh timelines\u201d of a case if it finds the \u201creasons\u201d given by the trial court \u201cplausible\u201d and beyond its control.
\nThe ordinance also empowers the high courts to summon federal or provincial government officers to remove any \u201cdifficulties, hindrances and obstacles\u201d it finds in the case.
\nIf the law secretaries find that the case was delayed due to the \u201cpresiding officer or any of its functionaries\u201d then they may inform the high court. If the high court is of the view that the delay in the disposal of a trial is attributable to the presiding officer of the court or any other court functionary then they can initiate or \u201cdirect commencement of appropriate disciplinary proceedings.\u201d
\nThe ordinance also empowers the chief justice of every high court to nominate a judge along with other officers.
\nChanges in election laws
\nThe other ordinance signed by the president makes changes in section 181 of the Election Act, 2017.
\nThe amendments have added a new section titled 181 (A) in the law.
\nThe new law allows a member of \u201cparliament, provincial assembly or elected member of local government, including member holding any other office under the constitution or any other law, will be allowed to visit or address public meetings in \u201cany area or constituency\u201d.
\nGovt proposes changes in electoral, social media defamation laws
\nA day earlier, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had confirmed that two important bills relating to the election commission\u2019s code of conduct and social media have been sent to the federal cabinet for approval.
\nIn a tweet, the information minister said the first proposal seeks permission to allow parliamentarians to run election campaigns.
\nThe second law, if enforced, will make social media defamation a punishable crime.
\n\u201cInsulting the dignity of another person on social media will be made a punishable offence and the courts will be bound to decide the cases within a period of six months,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Public office holders will now be able to campaign in polls; Courts to wrap up PECA crimes within 6 months President Arif Alvi signed two ordinances on Sunday making changes in the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, (PECA) 2016, and the Elections Act, 2017 Islamabad Both laws were signed by the president after the Cabinet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1073,4263,4264,4262],"class_list":{"0":"post-245510","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-amendment","9":"tag-ordinances","10":"tag-peca","11":"tag-president-arif-alvi"},"yoast_head":"\n