July 2017
July 03: The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom Division informed the Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation that intercepting telephone calls is lawful and should not be taken as a serious matter because it is practiced worldwide. https://www.dawn.com/news/1343089/intercepting-phone-calls-is-legal-senate-body-told
July 06: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told the Islamabad High Court that an inquiry against journalist Taha Siddiqui transferred from their counter-terrorism wing to the cybercrime wing after the journalist comments on social media targeting the country’s powerful military establishment. https://tribune.com.pk/story/1451057/journalist-harassed-case-transferred-cyber-crime-wing/
July 07: Joel Kaplan, Facebook Vice-President of Global Public Policy, calls on Pakistan Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to discuss removal of “blashmeous content” on social media. https://www.dawn.com/news/1343822/facebook-vp-nisar-discuss-removal-of-blasphemous-content
July 09: People in plainclothes picked up The Nation reporter Abdullah Zafar from his residence in Karachi.
July 10: The Nation reporter Abdullah Zafar returned home 20 hours after he was picked up from his residence in Karachi on July 09. He told Dawn newspaper that he was taken away in Police armoured vehicle and made subject to torture. He said he faced the situation for his comments on social media about “missing persons.” https://www.dawn.com/news/1344495
July 11: Police register case under Section 295A of Blasphemy law against columnist Dr Sheikh Wali who wrote a column in Daily Jahan-e-Pakistan regarding Hazart Ali (RA) leading to “anger” in the Shia community and they protested in Lahore to demand registration of case under blasphemy law.
July 13: A Court in Sargodha district of Punjab province awards 13 years rigorous imprisonment to an accused under cybercrime law for “provocative sectarian material” on Facebook. http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=14_07_2017_002_001
July 19: Senators on Wednesday invited renewed scrutiny of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, calling it “dangerous” and a “black law”. https://www.dawn.com/news/1346310/senators-term-prevention-of-electronic-crimes-act-2016-a-black-law
July 20: Federal Investigation Agency personnel restricted Miss Saba Bajhir and Malik Irfan from 24 News channel along with Etzaz Hussain of Dawn News channel from covering of arrested government official Zafar Hijazi’s admission to PIMS hospital on health ground. The FIA officials and family members of the official made these reporters hostage and misbehaved with them. Their cameras and other belonging were snatched.
July 27: Banned Baloch separatist group Baloch Liberation Army shuts down press club in Kharan district and stops 17 members of the press club from working as journalist.
July 30: Journalists resumed professional work in Kharan district by reopening press club, which was shut down after banned militant separatist group “Baloch Liberation Army” hurled threats on July 27. The Kharan Press Club was reopened after local journalists received full support of Balochistan Union of Journalists and Quetta Press Club Safety Hub, managed by Freedom Network.