Law against defamatory remarks on social media prepared: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Saturday that a proposed law related to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct has been sent to the cabinet for approval, ARY News reported.

Taking to Twitter, the information minister said that law related to amendments in the election commission’s code of conduct has been sent to the federal cabinet for approval.

“The ministers and lawmakers would be able to attend public gatherings after the approval of ECP code of conduct bill,” the minister revealed.

He further said that second proposed bill will make social media defamation a punishable crime.

وفاقی کابینہ کو دو اہم قانون منظوری کیلئے بھیجےگئےہیں،پہلےقانون کےتحت پارلیمنٹیرینز کوالیکشن کمپین میں حصہ لینےکی اجازت دی گئ ہے جبکہ دوسرے قانون کے تحت سوشل میڈیا پرلوگوں کی عزت اچھالنے کو قابل تعزیرجرم قرار دے دیا گیا ہے،عدالتوں کوپابند کیا گیا ہے کہ فیصلہ چھ ماہ میں کیا جائے

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 19, 2022

“The courts will be bound to decide the social media defamation cases within a period of six months,” he said.

Earlier today it emerged that the federal government has amended a law related to the code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), allowing ministers and lawmakers to attend public gatherings.

According to sources, the federal cabinet has approved an ordinance, making amendments in the election commission’s code of conduct.

Reservations have been raised from both sides of the aisle in the Parliament over the code of conduct of the ECP previously and the new changes to the ECP law will now allow lawmakers and ministers to attend public gatherings.