Culprits involved in malicious campaign against judiciary to be taken to task, nobody will be victimised : Solangi

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 3:27 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Solangi on Monday said that elements involved in the malicious campaign against the superior judiciary would be taken to task but no group or person would be victimised.
He was addressing a press conference flanked by Director General Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Ahmed Shamim Pirzada and Director General Operations Federal Investigation Agency Waqar uddin.
The minister said that judicial decisions were in the public domain and as per the Constitution and the masses could comment on them.
Condemning the malicious campaign against the superior judiciary and judges on social media, he said that character assassination of someone was a serious violation of the law and the Constitution. He underlined the need to discourage the culture of deceit and intolerance from society.
He said a joint investigation team had been formed to probe the anti-judiciary campaign and the relevant institutions including FIA and PTA were investigating the ongoing propaganda. He said that Article 19 of the Constitution defines freedom of expression with certain restrictions. The minister said that the caretaker government was set up under a constitutional process and it was written in the preamble of the Constitution that the country will be run by representatives of the people.
He said that elections will be held across the country on February 8 and there should be no doubt about it.
The minister said that strict measures will be taken against those involved in illegal activities.
Lashing out at those churning out lies and malicious propaganda to mislead the nation for their vested interests, he urged the general public to beware of misleading and fake news.
He advised people to verify every bit of information before sharing it on social media platforms.
Referring to the involvement of internal and external elements in the anti-judiciary campaign, he said that anyone who violated the law would be dealt with according to the law without any discrimination.
He said that the objective of this press conference was to warn such elements against running the malicious campaign.
He said that both FIA and PTA were investigating the matter and hundreds of social media accounts were monitored and action would be taken against the culprits under the law of the land.
Spreading lies was the business of some people as this was part of their ” political economy ” as they received hefty amounts but these false news do not benefit the people of Pakistan.
“As the elections are approaching we have to be wary of lies and misinformation,” Murtaza Solangi said, adding that the people should verify before sharing such false and false news.
To a question, he said the campaign against the judiciary was launched from within the country and abroad and those involved were connected.
Replying to a question he said that action would be taken only against those who were involved in the campaign to malign the judges of the superior judiciary and no group or person would be targeted.
He said the present caretaker regime was non-political and it had no political friends or opponents, so it had no intention to target any political party or group.
He said that Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had the Ministry of Interior portfolio and all the ministry institutions were fully operational.
Answering a question regarding disruption in the Internet, he said that during the past few days, the Internet service had some problems due to technical glitches and it had nothing to do with politics.

DC reviews ongoing projects

Iqra Yousaf Iqra Yousaf

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 3:23 PM

SIALKOT, Jan 22 (APP): Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Zulqarnain on Monday visited Daska and reviewed development projects.
Assistant Commissioner Anwar Ali Kanju was also present while officers of the
Public Health Engineering and the principal Divisional Public School (DPS)
gave a briefing.
The deputy commissioner said that 70% work of the extension project of Durbar
Canal Bridge in Daska had been completed so far.
The DC was also briefed by the principal Divisional Public School Daska.
The deputy commissioner said that in view of the number of students, a new floor
would be constructed in the existing building while there was also a plan to
construct a new block.
Meanwhile, DC Zulqarnain also visited Stadium Road sewerage project
while 55% of the work had been completed.
Similarly, drainage and tuff tiles project in Daska at a cost of 100 million rupees
was also going on rapidly.

Road accident claims one life

AHMD Raja

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 3:12 PM

MULTAN, Jan 22 (APP):An unidentified woman was killed in a road accident near thermal power of Kot Addu.

According to rescuer the accident occurred when the trolley lost the balance and hit the woman walking at the road side which caused her death on the spot.

Rescuer said the driver couldn’t apply brakes on time that caused the death.

The body was shifted to RHC Qasba Gujrat. Police of the concerned jurisdiction was informed which started investigation. Search for heirs of the deceased was continued, said the police.

ECP to penalise absent polling staff from training

AHMD Raja

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 3:09 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has strongly reacted to the absenteeism of polling staff during ongoing training and is set to take punitive action against them.

According to a statement from an ECP Spokesperson, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has directed all chief secretaries and Provincial Election Commissioners to ensure the mandatory attendance of polling staff during the training.

Polling staff also directed to must attend training sessions, stay in touch with the returning officer and district election commissioner, and any negligence in this matter will not be tolerated.

Polling staff has been asked to ensure their presence during training sessions and maintain close contact with relevant returning officer and district election commissioner and no laxity in this regard will be tolerated.

Media strong platform for educating public about uploading any unlawful content on social media: DG PTA

NNPS Desk

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 2:44 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP): Director General of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Ahmed Shamim Pirzada on Monday said that media is a strong platform for creating awareness and educating the public about uploading or sharing any unlawful content on internet and social media.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi and DG FIA, he said, “Media is a strong platform that can help to create public awareness about what kind of content can be shared, and what repercussions shared content may have for the nation.”

Pirzada said that, sometimes, individuals, including youngsters, inadvertently share content that can be harmful to the country and the public on social media.

The DG said that the PTA has taken several steps to educate the general public, including writing articles and running media campaigns for awareness.

Additionally, the authority holds regular meetings with social media companies every three to six months to address concerns and collaborate on solutions.

In response to a question, Pirzada said that occasional technical glitches may occur in the system due to system upgrades, and such issues may be experienced in the next two to three months.

He explained that the PTA operates under Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA), empowering the authority to remove or block unlawful online content in the interest of defence, glory of Islam, contempt of court, decency and morality, defamation, child pornography, the modesty of natural persons, the dignity of natural persons, public order, hate speech, incitement to an offence, etc.

He said that any person can lodge a complaint against objectionable internet content, and these complaints are received via the Complaint Management System (CMS).

He said, that the PTA also conducts proactive searches on the direction of courts and promptly addresses received complaints, emphasizing its primary duty to remove and block unlawful content.

The DG said that about 44 stakeholders, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), provincial home departments, provincial Counter Terrorism Departments, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and others, informed the PTA through the portal regarding any unlawful contents and activities.

He said that the authority takes swift action upon receiving complaints, underscoring its commitment to removing and blocking any unlawful content.

‘Political Parties utilizing social media as a tool for election campaigns’: report

AHMD Raja

Mon, 22 Jan 2024, 2:43 PM

ISLAMABAD, Jan 22 (APP):With the rise of social media, traditional election campaign methods have been replaced by digital media channels, where political activities are now actively taking place. These channels are also emerging as a powerful platform tool among all age groups, particularly younger demographics, for political advertisers looking to grab voters’ attention with eye-catching content.

Ahead of elections 2024 in Pakistan , social media sites are popping up daily with variety of political activities and the most popular ones are the ever famous Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are seen busy with various political parties campaigns, said a report aired by a private news channel.

The social media is going to be the most effective tool for election 2024 campaigns with its the supporters of different political parties using applications, said a citizen.

Personal communication via social media brings politicians and parties more closer to their potential voters, said a youngster.

Social media was allowing politicians to communicate faster and reach citizens in a more targeted manner and vice verse, without the intermediate role of mass media, said a Politician.

Citizens of all ages have started taking an interest in politics more, adding, it is now easier for them to evaluate a political party or candidate through social media platforms.

The social media era has brought both opportunities and challenges to the field of political advertising, said a young user of social media.

Employing a comprehensive, agile, and ethical strategy can be the key to effective political communication in this digital age, said another user while commenting the issue.

With the right tools, planning, and adaptability, social media platforms can be harnessed to significantly impact public opinion and, ultimately, election outcomes, said a political figure while appreciating social media campaigns.

Social media can also lead to the spread of false or manipulated information about candidates or parties during election periods so concerned authority should manage these crises as well, said an IT expert.

Voters can express different opinions by commenting on or sharing campaign messages, said another user of social media.

Social media has brought a new change in political awareness, debate, and democracy in Pakistan, said an educationist, adding, If youngsters should be well-trained, impactful for social media users, they can reshape Pakistan’s fractured polity for the better.