Blah Blah from The TeaBreak Team.

I am not a troublemaker – seriously I am not! However, there are certain things that one has to take a stand on, especially when they are likely to affect not only businesses but also each and every individual who uses an electronic device – whether it be a computer, a mobile phone or a digital camera. I am speaking of the “Prevention of Electronic Crime Ordinance 2009 (PECO 2009)”.

Yes I know we raised a hue and cry over it in 2007 when it was first promulgated by the then President Parvez Musharraf. There was a lot of advocacy done using Youtube, television channels, newspapers and magazines, blogs and meetups. A few minor changes were made to appease us. Then the Ordinance lapsed.

A few months ago the current government reactivated the Ordinance. We raised our voices again and there were assurances that the Ordinance would not be used to suppress freedom of speech or expression.

Now we hear that the Ordinance has been sent to the floor of the National Assembly and there is every possibility of it becoming law. So you can imagine why P@SHA, ISPAK, civil society and business organizations as well as legal experts have joined hands to ask that the Ordinance be repealed and focus group sessions started to determine what kind of Cyber Crime Act is needed for the benefit of the country and its people.

P@SHA organized a Press Conference a few days ago. Here is a video of that conference. Barrister Zahid Jamil who has been a part of this advocacy since its early days, Sabeen Mahmud of T2F (representing civil society) and Nadeem Farooqui GM Legal of Cybernet (representing ISPAK) were present at the Press Conference.

Attached is a video of the conference which is mainly in Urdu.

Links to presentations and videos of the advocacy campaign that started in 2007 will be put up this afternoon. If you have any links of clippings or videos, please send them to us so they can all be available in one place.

The good news is that PM Yousuf Raza Geelani expressed reservations regarding the Ordinance in Parliament a couple of days ago. He has said that it will be sent back to the Committee for assessment and for public feedback. That is a very important first step.

This cup of tea was served by: In the Line of Wire