Zardari might have signed Peca bill under pressure: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: Assuring support to the journalist community on the issue of Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Peca), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Monday President Asif Zardari might have signed the bill under any pressure.

Talking to members of the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) at the Parliament House, here, Maulana Fazl said he would hold consultations with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the controversial legislation.

“The President faced such a pressure that he signed the bill into law immediately,” the JUIF chief said, adding journalism and politics had always been inter-linked with each other. He said he would repeat his stance against Peca tweaks, adding the journalist community and their bodies should have been taken into confidence on the law.

He told PRA members that there could have been a situation of martial law had the JUIF accepted government’s draft of the 26th Constitutional Amendment and added that his party’s demands were accepted.

He insisted that there was no vested interest of JUIF for supporting the 26th amendment as its bill was reduced from 56 to 26 clauses. Maulana Fazl regretted that there was no writ of the state in some areas of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces since there was complete failure in ensuring peace there.

He claimed that Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir issue had been changed under international pressure and Kashmiris were left alone. The JUIF chief noted with concern that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan were deteriorating and it was being frequently highlighted that Afghans coming from across the border undertake terrorist acts inside Pakistan.

He said Pakistan was fighting proxy war of others, while relations with the neighbouring country were deteriorating. Referring to the Afghan interim government, Maulana Fazl asked as to why those who used to be supporters of Pakistan were being made enemies of the country.

He further said pressure was being exerted on Pakistan’s madaris by alleging that religious seminaries were involved in money laundering. “Our politicians are involved in money-laundering but seminaries are being targeted,” he added.

Maulana Fazl also said problems of the country would multiply if decisions were taken at the forum of the establishment, insisting that the government should sit with the politicians. “The government should not go to such an extent that no way out is left for politicians. The country’s system cannot function if the matters are decided by a few individuals,” he added.

Talking to PRA members, JUI-F’s Senator Kamran Murtaza said a consensus was reached on the name of Justice Mansoor Ali Shah as chief justice of Pakistan but later the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leadership backed out of the commitment. “It was also agreed during discussion on the 26th amendment at Jati Umra in Lahore,” he said, adding Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar was a witness of the same.

Senator Murtaza claimed it were PMLN and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) which did not fulfil commitment on the name of Justice Shah, whereas the JUI-F stuck to its stance.