ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) on Saturday strongly condemned the arrest orders of 150 journalists, including Asif Bashir Chaudhry, general secretary of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), and anchor person Harmeet Singh under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016.

In a statement, PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Arshad Ansari called for the immediate withdrawal of the arrest orders and urged authorities to uphold the fundamental rights of journalists and media workers.

The union also demanded 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 statement said. “This is a blatant attack on press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan and depicts the authoritarian mindset of the so-called elected government.”

The PFUJ emphasised that while the organisation does not support fake news, due process must be followed in registering cases against journalists accused of violating the law. The union said it stood in solidarity with the affected journalists and would continue to fight for their rights and freedom.

The FIA has filed two separate cases against Asif Bashir Chaudhary and Harmeet Singh, accusing them of building a false narrative and launching a misleading campaign against state institutions and security agencies through the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

The FIA claims that tweets posted between Nov 24 and 27 incited the public to commit acts of violence against state institutions, law enforcement and security agencies.

The cases have been registered under sections 9, 10, 11 and 24 of Peca 2016.

Section 9 (Glorification of an Offence) carries a punishment of up to seven years imprisonment and a fine of Rs10 million; Section 10 (Cyber Terrorism) includes imprisonment of up to 14 years and a fine of up to Rs50m; Section 11 (Hate Speech) includes imprisonment of up to seven years with a fine or both; and Section 24 (Cyber Stalking) is punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs1m, or both.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2024