Key Takeaways
- The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to refer a complaint against a newspaper columnist to the Press Council of Pakistan.
- The committee reiterated that PECA would not be used against websites and digital platforms regulated by the Press Council of Pakistan.
- Members raised objections to the film 'Buleha,' recommending changes in its title and content.
The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to refer a complaint against a newspaper columnist to the Press Council of Pakistan, according to a statement from the committee. The directive was issued during a meeting held at the Pakistan Television headquarters under the acting chairmanship of Senator Sarmad Ali.
The complaint, submitted by the president of the Pakistan Administrative Service Officers Association, alleged controversial remarks made by the columnist about the bureaucracy. NCCIA officials informed the committee that they had only issued a notice to the columnist to obtain his version of events following the complaints. No first information report under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) has been registered, and the columnist has not yet responded.
The article in question had been removed from the newspaper’s e-paper but was still available on the columnist's Facebook page. Senator Pervaiz Rashid emphasized that the columnist should respond to the notice so that the facts could be established. The committee observed that the dignity and sanctity of every individual must be respected before directing NCCIA to place the matter before the Press Council.
The meeting also reviewed the transfer of PECA-related cases from provincial authorities to NCCIA, with officials stating that only nine cases from Sindh had been transferred so far. Senator Sarmad Ali directed that letters be sent to relevant provincial authorities to expedite the transfer of pending cases and asked for the recommendations and report of the Senate subcommittee on information and broadcasting to be forwarded for implementation.
NCCIA also briefed the committee about social media statistics and the removal of objectionable content by Meta. The agency clarified that figures previously provided had been drawn from Meta’s publicly available data, which the committee accepted. The committee called for responsible reporting based on verified information.
In a separate matter, members raised objections to the film 'Buleha,' alleging that it misrepresented the name and peaceful teachings of Sufi poet Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah by associating the lead character with violence and firearms. The Central Board of Film Censors had approved the film, but committee members rejected this explanation.
The committee recommended that the producers change the film’s title and remove an objectionable dialogue in which the lead character compares himself to Baba Bulleh Shah. It stated that failure to make these changes should result in the film being blocked from release and possibly removed from YouTube. Members also called upon the federal government to introduce a transparent and merit-based mechanism for appointing members of the censor board.
The columnist should respond to the notice so that the facts could be established.
Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Member, Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting
