A bill has been prepared to change the PPC (Pakistan Penal Code) and CrPC ( Code of Criminal Procedure) by the federal government where around 5 years of imprisonment would be stanced to the one who scandalises or ridicules the Pakistan Army and judiciary through any channel.
The draft bill was evaluated by the Ministry of Interior for the prime minister and federal cabinet.
A cabinet summary in this issue outlined the aim of the soon-to-be proposed bill clearly as lately social media has been rife with criticism of the army and courts.
As per sources in the Ministry of Interior, the summary and the bill would be presented to the federal cabinet soon.
Titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, the bill suggests a new section 500A after section 500 in PPC 1860.
The new section is named, ‘Intentional ridiculing or scandalising of the state institutions etc.’ It states that whoever makes, publishes, circulates any statement or disseminates information, through any channel, against judiciary, the armed forces or any of their member will be guilty of an offence punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with a fine which may extend to Rs. 1 million or with both.
