Finally the most controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015 has been passed by Pakistan's National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday.
The draconian bill - which has been criticized by the information technology (IT) industry and by civil society for controlling human rights - was submitted to the NA for voting in January 2015 by the IT ministry.
In September, a draft of the cyber crime bill was forcefully cleared by the shanding committee, prior being forwarded to the National Assembly for final approval without appearing committee the copy of the bill.
According to critics,” the proposed bill criminalises activities such as sending text messages without the receiver's consent or criticising government actions on social media with fines and long-term imprisonment. Industry representatives have argued that the bill would harm business as well.”