Govt. Campaign against offensive emails, SMSs

[imtiaz]

The News Reported as

A country-wide campaign has been launched against emails and text
messages containing offensive and fabricated stories against the
civilian leadership.

Sources told Geo News, decision has been taken to initiate an
immediate action against the banned outfits engaging propaganda
against the security forces through Internet.

Directive has been issued to DG FIA for taking to task the elements
involved in the crime under Cyber Crimes Act.

Interpol has also been formally requested to track such emails and web
sites developed outside the country. Help will be sought from the
international police for deportation of the people involved in the
crime, sources said.

Those proved guilty of committing these crimes will be punished with
14 years imprisonment and/ or confiscation of the property.

Daily Dawn Reported as

Punishment for indecent SMS and emails

ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Sunday that sending indecent,
provocative and ill-motivated stories and text messages through e-
mails and mobile telephone Short Messaging Service (SMS) was an
offence under the Cyber Crime Act (CCA) and its violators could be
sent behind bars for 14 years.

An official announcement by the interior ministry said that the
government was launching a campaign against circulation of what it
called ill-motivated and concocted stories through emails and text
messages against civilian leadership and security forces.

The announcement does not elaborate what is meant by ill-motivated e-
messages, but it is believed that the ‘civilian leadership’ meant
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Interior
Minister Rehman Malik and other politicians.

A senior official of the ministry said: ‘Sending indecent message is a
crime under the Cyber Crime Act and liable to punishment.’

He said that some elements had been trying to malign the political
leadership and security forces engaged in a military operation in
Malakand and some areas in Fata.

The government has tasked the Federal Investigation Agency’s Cyber
Crime Cell to block or trace such emails and mobile telephones’ SMS.

Under the Cyber Crime Act, violators could be jailed for 14 years,
besides confiscation of their property. Similarly, any Pakistani
living abroad and violating provisions of the act may be charged and
will be liable to deportation to Pakistan.

Under the campaign, all Internet Service Providers would be checked
physically by the FIA on a daily basis.

The directive said the campaign would also target proscribed
organisations which had been using internet for malicious propaganda
against security forces.

The Director General of FIA, Mr Tariq Khosa, has been instructed to
monitor and check stories and messages and take necessary action under
the CCA.

An FIA official said that strict action would be taken against all
culprits in the next few days and the agency had already done a lot of
work in this regard.

‘Interpol/Lyon has also been requested to identify those email
addresses and websites registered abroad which are being used for such
stories,’ the official said.