ISLAMABAD: Maryam Aurangzeb, Spokesperson and Secretary Information of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) while rejecting the amendments in the PECA law said that Imran Khan has brought this draconian and black law to mentally enslave 220 million people of Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference at the party secretariat in Chak Shehzad along with party leader Bilal Kayani, Marriyum said the PML-N would challenge this black law inside and outside the parliament, the Supreme Court and the High Court.
She said Senator Azam Nazir Tarar was taking a detailed look at it after which appropriate actions would be taken. These black laws were against the constitution, national and international laws related to media and human rights., she added.
“Under this black law, first of all, action should be taken against Imran, members of his cabinet and his rented mouthpieces for propagating fake news and false allegations against the opposition every single day. They should be arrested and sentenced to ten years imprisonment”, she said.
The former Information Minister said these black laws were an expression of Imran’s hatred and tyrant mindset against journalists who speak truth to power and political opponents because he couldn’t take criticism. History was a witness to the fact that those who make such oppressive laws were the ones who were strangled by them. The more Imran tries to suppress the voices of truth, the more they will intensify, the backlash would increase and eventually these same black rules will put Imran in jail, she warned.
The PML-N Central Spokespersons said the biggest problems of the people were inflation, unemployment, economic strife and government’s corruption. Such oppressive laws would not stop this criticism because people were suffering every hour of every day under this imposed PTI regime.
Marriyum said PTI members who were not in a position to face the people of their constituency were bringing the no-confidence motion, in collaboration with all political parties including the PDM.
She said the preparations for the no-confidence motion had been completed, and it would be brought in due course. She said her statement about the phone-calls from Peshawar is very clear, concise and detailed. It was therefore important that this practice must stop otherwise PMLN would categorically take names of the people calling at press conferences.
She said that several provisions of the PECA law had been imposed on 22 crore people of Pakistan including the media, civil society and everyone. Most of all, this law should be read by those who chanted slogans of change. Who chanted slogans to make Pakistan a state of Madinah. It is very important for every Pakistani to study it, so that they understand the despotic and tyrannical ambitions of Imran, she stressed.
She said this law was not only against the constitution of Pakistan and its right to freedom of expression but also against the law of the world and human rights. It was a violation of every law that strengthens freedom of expression.
The only purpose of this law was to choke the entire nation to prevent them from speaking the truth about Imran.
Referring to the amendment made in section 43A of One A, she said that it has been declared as a non-bailable offense to criticize any institution which has been created by the government or falls under its category, she told.
The PML-N spokesperson said that an amendment has also been claimed regarding fake news. In other words, if anyone says that fake news has been aired about them in some program of some news channel the FIA will be authorized to take action against the person.
They wouldn’t even need permission from the magistrate to arrest him, she explained. That person would lose 5 years of his life behind bars no matter if by the end of the trial he was found not-guilty.
There is no definition of fake news in this black Draconian law. It has nothing to do with internationally acclaimed fake news, including corrigendum, apologies and penalties.
He said that Imran had had false news published against Shahbaz Sharif in the British newspaper Daily Mail. Shahbaz Sharif had filed a defamation suit against Imran for making false allegations in the Panama case. It has been four to five years but Imran hadn’t even submitted a reply.
Marriyum said over the past three and a half years, people in the media have been shot, kidnapped, and tortured, the latest example of was Mohsin Baig. These Black Laws were being imposed to cover up for such actions, she said.
“Can Imran put 220 million people in jail?, Does he have the resources. If they do not criticize Imran for what he had done with Pakistan and its people, should they put garlands on him?”, she questioned.
The PML-N spokesperson said that Imran was being criticized in every street, in every neighborhood, in every city because the people have no food, no money to buy medicine, or to even pay rent. Imran would have to answer to his political opponents in this world and in the hereafter for the atrocities he committed on them under the guise of the worst and political victimization campaign in three and a half years.
But gagging now he was trying to gag the entire nation. Which you tried to put pressure on. The harder Imran tries to suppress these voices, the louder they would get, she said.
Maryam Aurangzeb said said FIA officials and the police, could now arrest anyone at any given time because the trial for non-bailable offense has been made secondary stage. She said the government had earlier tried to impose black laws by setting up a media authority. Parliament and others, including PFUJ, CPNE, APNS and press clubs, rejected it.
The same laws had now been enacted through this PECA Ordinance.
Marriyum also questioned as to what would be the definition of Fake News under this law and who would get to decide what fake news is. Would Imran determine the fake news? Will the government determine what was fake news?
Maryam Aurangzeb said according to a recent survey, 64% of people consider inflation to be the biggest problem and Unemployment is the second biggest problem while Imran was making black laws to gag the people instead of focusing on their problems. Inflation was a problem for 61% of people under the age of 30. The biggest problem for people in their 30s and 50s was inflation. Unemployment was a problem for 44% of the youth.
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