ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) rejects any attempts to further gag the fundamental right of freedom of expression in the name of preventing defamation and disrespect of the armed forces.

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) Secretary General Farhatullah Babar in a statement on Wednesday expressed grave concern over a bill moved by a PTI MNA and approved by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior seeking to amend the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to send anyone to jail for two years with fine Rs 500,000 or both for what has been described as ‘defamation of the army”.

He said Section 500 of the PPC already provides punishment for the defamation of anyone, and the addition of Section 500-A is aimed only at gagging freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution in name of national security. It is not acceptable and will be opposed at every platform he said.

The nation has witnessed enough of how behind the façade of ‘national security’ citizens have disappeared mysteriously, national resources diverted, internment centers set up, ex tribal areas made a no go area, foreign and security policies hijacked and security establishment’s business and commercial empire expanded exponentially.

Section 500-A is liable to be grossly misused in the name of national security as Section 295-C has been misused in the name of religion, he said.

Defence forces working within their constitutional limits are universally admired and do not need any legislation to protect their honor and respect. Similarly no legislation can stop people from questioning those who transgress their limits with impunity, he said.

When contacted, Secretary General of the PPP-P Farhatullah Babar said that the PPP would call up other political parties to enact legislation to bring intelligence agencies under the ambit of law instead of legislating to stifle dissent of fundamental of expression.

Answering a question, he said that the PPP would contact with other political parties to oppose the bill when it would move in the house for passage. He said that the PPP would also strongly oppose the bill if it would be moved in the Upper House of the Parliament (Senate).

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Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, he said private media has to embark upon the course of self-accountability while media outlets are also required to do their work in the righteous manner.

He said that Geo News had a very antagonistic stance towards the past government of the PPP and unduly subjected that government to media trial.

He said that the Geo News despite ruling status of PPP in the past ranked his party as fourth position among popular and major political parties of the province.

Memon said that no media group or television channel should have the right to rank political parties on basis

of their perceived popularity instead the media should

objectively report on issues concerning the public interests.

Giving reaction on behalf of provincial government on the issue of exclusion of 11 major development schemes of Sindh from upcoming federal government’s budget for financial year 2014-15, the minister said the federal government should shun its ‘dictatorial and discriminatory’ policies and steps against Sindh as the provincial government would never accept injustices to its people.

Memon said that the federal government had been subjecting Sindh to step-motherly treatment and the way people of the province and its government were being treated, showed well the dictatorial mindset and tendencies of the incumbent federal government.

He said it seemed that the PML-N government in the Centre had started penalising people of Sindh as the latter had rejected it in the last general elections.

He said the Pakistan People’s Party had always promoted politics of reconciliation in the country for the sake of strengthening of democracy.

Memon said the federal government had been constantly ignoring needs of Sindh and had not been providing due share of the province in accordance with the award of National Finance Commission.

He said that the Sindh government had already slashed its allocations for development funds for the cause of restoration of law and order situation in Karachi.

He said that the prime minister should rise to the occasion and instead of considering himself ruler of any particular province or of a city, he should consider and act in a manner that he was prime minister of the entire country.

To a question, the minister said that in case former military ruler Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf would be allowed to leave the country then the responsibility of such an act would rest fully with the judiciary and the federal government.

To another question, he said the PPP would never become part of any emerging grand opposition alliance in the country as the PPP itself was a formidable political force which could fight well against all the conspiracies being hatched against its existence.

The News