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  • Article
    Pakistan: Controversial Punjab Defamation Act Signed into Law On May 20, 2024, the Punjab Provincial Assembly passed the Punjab Defamation Act 2024 amid strong protest from opposition lawmakers and media stakeholders. It was signed into law on June 7 by Acting Governor Malik Ahmed Khan.The bill’s Statement of Objects and Reasons (p.10) says itenvisages legal protection from false, misleading, and defamatory claims made … Continue reading “Pakistan: Controversial Punjab Defamation Act Signed…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2024-06-25
  • Article
    Pakistan: Supreme Court Releases on Bail an Ahmadi Muslim Detained for Distributing Proscribed Commentary on Holy Quran On February 6, 2024, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a two-judge decision (which included the chief justice), releasing on bail an applicant who was arrested and charged with “distributing/disseminating a proscribed book” — the Tafseer-e-Sagheer, an Urdu commentary on the Holy Quran attributed to the Ahmadi Muslim minority community. The community is considered heretical … Continue reading “Pakistan: Supreme Court Releases on Bail…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2024-03-10
  • Article
    Pakistan: Sindh High Court Releases on Bail Ahmadi Lawyer Arrested for Using Title "Syed" in His Name On May 22, 2023, the Sindh High Court issued an order releasing on bail an applicant who was arrested for using the title “Syed” (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) in his name. The applicant, a 76-year-old lawyer and advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan who is a member of the Ahmadi Muslim minority, was … Continue reading “Pakistan: Sindh High Court Releases on…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-06-21
  • Article
    Pakistan: National Assembly Passes Contempt of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) Bill, 2023 On May 16, 2023, the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of Pakistan’s Parliament, passed the Contempt of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) Bill, 2023. The private bill was introduced by Rana Muhamad Qasim Noon of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on May 9, 2023. Noon reportedly said it was a “historic moment in the country’s parliamentary history” and … Continue reading “Pakistan: National Assembly Passes…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-06-06
  • Article
    Pakistan: Supreme Court Temporarily Bars Government from Enforcing Supreme Court Reform Act Curtailing Suo Motu Powers of Chief Justice On April 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued an interim order barring the government from enforcing the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023.The original bill was approved by the federal cabinet on March 28, 2023, and then passed by the National Assembly (lower house) on March 29 and by the Senate (upper … Continue reading “Pakistan: Supreme Court Temporarily Bars Government…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-05-01
  • Article
    Pakistan: Balochistan Government Drafts Bill Outlawing Child Marriage On March 22, 2023, the government of Balochistan province in Pakistan reportedly informed Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) that it had finalized a bill outlawing child marriage and would be submitting it to the provincial assembly for approval soon.Background to the BillThe province of Sindh enacted Pakistan’s first law prohibiting child marriages, called the Sindh … Continue reading “Pakistan: Balochistan Government Drafts Bill Outlawing…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-04-19
  • Article
    Pakistan: Amendment to Blasphemy Law Passes in Lower House of Parliament On January 17, 2023, the National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistan’s federal Parliament, unanimously passed an amendment to Pakistan’s blasphemy law through the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023. This private member’s bill was introduced by Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, a member of the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami. In the statement of objects and reasons for … Continue reading “Pakistan: Amendment to Blasphemy Law Passes…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-02-13
  • Article
    Pakistan: Federal Shariat Court Upholds Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act On Nov. 22, 2022, the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) of Pakistan issued a judgment determining that no provision of the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016, a law enacted by the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, is “against the injunctions of Islam as laid down in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.”Under article 203D(1) … Continue reading “Pakistan: Federal Shariat Court Upholds Punjab…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2023-01-25
  • Article
    Pakistan: President Grants Assent to Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2022 On November 1, 2022, the president of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, granted his assent to the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention and Punishment) Bill, 2022, which criminalizes torture, rape, and death of persons in official custody. The bill was initially passed by Pakistan’s lower legislative chamber, the National Assembly, on August 1, 2022, and subsequently passed … Continue reading “Pakistan: President Grants Assent to Torture…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2022-12-06
  • Article
    Pakistan: Supreme Court Issues Detailed Judgment on Dismissal of Resolution of No-Confidence Motion Against Then-PM Imran Khan On July 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of Pakistan published a judgment detailing the reasons for issuing its landmark unanimous short order dated April 7, 2022. That order declared the ruling of the deputy speaker of the National Assembly (NA) dismissing the resolution of no confidence (RNC) motion against the country’s prime minister (PM) “to be contrary … Continue reading “Pakistan: Supreme Court Issues…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2022-08-07
  • Article
    Pakistan: Domestic Violence Bill Referred to Council of Islamic Ideology In a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser dated July 5, 2021, the adviser on parliamentary affairs to Pakistan’s prime minister, Babar Awan, recommended that the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2021 be referred for review to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII)—a constitutional advisory body on Shari‘a law issues. In providing his … Continue reading “Pakistan: Domestic Violence Bill Referred to…
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2021-08-11
  • Article
    Pakistan: Supreme Court Bars Use of Death Penalty for Inmates with Serious Mental Illness (Mar. 3, 2021) On February 10, 2021, a five-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a landmark judgment barred the use of the death penalty for inmates with serious mental illness or disorders who are “unable to comprehend the rationale behind their execution.” Background The apex court was hearing three appeals from prisoners […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2021-03-03
  • Article
    Pakistan: "Smart Lockdown" Imposed across Cities of Pakistan as Covid-19 Cases Grow Rapidly (June 25, 2020) On June 13, 2020, the prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, announced in a televised address to the nation that a “smart lockdown” strategy would be imposed on certain hot spots across the country “as people’s indifference to the pandemic was jeopardising the lives of old and chronically ill people.” He emphasized […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2020-06-25
  • Article
    Pakistan: Federal Government Introduces Ordinance to Ban Food Hoarding by Traders Capitalizing on COVID-19 Pandemic (Apr. 28, 2020) On April 17, 2020, the Pakistani media reported that a new ordinance had been promulgated by the president of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, to discourage hoarding of essential commodities by traders aiming to create artificial shortages and raise prices. On April 19, the minister for law and justice, Farogh Naseem, stated during […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2020-04-28
  • Article
    Pakistan: Federal Cabinet Delays Approval of Bill to Protect Journalists (Mar. 23, 2020) On February 25, 2020, the federal cabinet of Pakistan delayed the formal approval of a federal government bill to ensure the protection and safety of journalists. The bill, which was prepared by the Ministry of Human Rights and is titled the Protection of Journalists & Media Professionals Bill 2020, aims to “promote, […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2020-03-23
  • Article
    Pakistan: Federal Government Issues Controversial Rules on Social Media Content (Mar. 3, 2020) On January 21, 2020, the federal government of Pakistan issued through a notification the Citizens Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, 2020, made in accordance with the Rules’ two parent acts, the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-organization) Act, 1996 and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. These Acts appear to be aimed at “exercising […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2020-03-03
  • Article
    Pakistan: Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Issues Directive Barring TV Anchors from Offering Opinions (Nov. 21, 2019) On October 27, 2019, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), an independent federal institution responsible for regulating the issuance of broadcasting licenses and distribution of privately owned print and electronic media channels (including those for radio, television, and satellite broadcasting), issued a directive under Section 18(g) of the Television Broadcast Station […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2019-11-21
  • Article
    Pakistan: Sindh Province Rejects Bill Against Forced Conversions (Nov. 15, 2019) On October 8, 2019, the Provincial Assembly of Sindh Province rejected a bill criminalizing forced religious conversions. This was the second attempt at enacting an anti-conversion law in the province—in December 2016 the Provincial Assembly passed a similar bill, but on the insistence of the provincial government, the governor did not assent […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2019-11-15
  • Article
    Pakistan: Law Passed Extending Jurisdiction of Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) (May 15, 2018) On April 13, 2018, Pakistan’s Senate (upper house of Parliament) passed a bill allowing the Federal government to extend the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Peshawar High Court to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). (Nadir Guramani, Senate Approves Bill to Extend Jurisdiction of Supreme Court, Peshawar High Court to […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2018-05-15
  • Article
    Pakistan: Federally Administered Tribal Areas to Be Merged with the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Mar. 16, 2017) On March 2, 2017, the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan approved recommendations of a reforms committee to “bring the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the mainstream” by merging the tribal region with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.  (Federal Cabinet Approves Recommendations to ‘Mainstream’ Fata, DAWN.COM (Mar. 2, 2017).)  FATA is a constitutionally […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2017-03-16
  • Article
    Pakistan: Sindh Provincial Assembly Passes New Law Prohibiting Forced Religious Conversion (Dec. 22, 2016) On November 24, 2016, the provincial assembly of Pakistan’s Sindh Province passed a new law called the Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Act, 2015, which prohibits forced religious conversions.  (Hufsa Chaudhry & Imtiaz Mugheri, Sindh Assembly Adopts Bill Against Forced Religious Conversions, DAWN (Nov. 24, 2016).) The private bill was proposed in December […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2016-12-22
  • Article
    Pakistan: Sindh Provincial Assembly Passes Law to Establish Commission for Protection of Minority Rights (Dec. 19, 2016) In what Assembly-member Nand Kumar Goklani called “a victory for the entire province,” Pakistan’s Sindh Province Assembly has unanimously adopted a private bill to establish a commission to protect the rights of religious minorities.  (Sindhi Assembly Stamps Commission for Minorities, NATION (Nov. 18, 2016).)  The Sindh Minorities Rights Commission Bill, 2015, was […]
    • Contributor: Lerner, Barry
    • Date: 2016-12-19
  • Article
    Pakistan: National Assembly Passes Hindu Marriage Bill (Nov. 15, 2016) On September 26, 2016, the Hindu Marriage Bill was unanimously passed in Pakistan’s National Assembly, after three previous failed attempts to pass the bill in 2008, 2011, and 2012. (Kalbe Ali, NA Finally Passes Hindu Marriage Bill, DAWN (Sept. 27, 2016); Hamza Ameer, Why Is Pakistan Afraid of Passing the Hindu Marriage […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2016-11-15
  • Article
    Pakistan: National Assembly Passes New Cybercrime Law (Sept. 21, 2016) On August 11, 2016, Pakistan’s lower house, the National Assembly, passed a controversial cybercrime law called the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The Senate had unanimously passed the law, with a number of amendments, in July. (Raza Khan, Cyber Crime Bill Passed by NA: 13 Reasons Pakistanis Should Be Worried, DAWN […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2016-09-21
  • Article
    Pakistan: Regulatory Authority Bans Two Ramadan Programs (June 29, 2016) On June 17, 2016, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), an independent television and radio regulator, banned the transmission of two Ramadan TV specials, as one news report notes, for violating PEMRA’s Electronic Media Code of Conduct rules by “promoting controversial and sectarian views.” (Following Threats, PEMRA Puts a Lid on […]
    • Contributor: Ahmad, Tariq
    • Date: 2016-06-29