IT Ministry wants Cyber Crime Bill to be tabled in NA

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of IT and Telecom on Friday recommended to the prime minister to accord direct approval for tabling the much-awaited Prevention of Cyber Crimes Bill in parliament for speedy enactment.
The Cyber Crime Bill is pending approval before the cabinet for many months for tabling in parliament.The Ministry of IT has made direct recommendation to the prime minister for allowing the bill to be tabled in parliament under applicable rules due to the extraordinary situation in the country after the Peshawar tragedy.
The Draft Bill gives wide-ranging powers to the authorities to monitor and intercept suspect communication and strong prosecution of illegal actions in the cyber space. In the absence of such a law, the Ministry of IT has no powers to prosecute abuse of IT and telecom networks and infrastructure that is dangerous in the present conditions.
The Draft Bill provides for legal and executive powers and bodies to monitor and control cyber crimes in Pakistan and its early enactment will suppress the use of social media and electronic transactions by terrorists