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April 3, 2025 - Comments Off on Starlink’s entry into Pakistan sparks regulatory and market concerns

Starlink’s entry into Pakistan sparks regulatory and market concerns

Elon Musk’s satellite internet network, Starlink, which had recently been issued a
temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC) to operate in Pakistan, is raising regulatory
and competitive concerns, especially in rural and security sensitive areas.
Local telecom companies such as Jazz, Zong, Telenor, and Ufone are concerned about its impact on the market, but Starlink’s premium pricing means it is unlikely to replace fibre-based services in urban areas. Its likely target market is armed forces, law enforcement, customs, and influential individuals in areas where fibre penetration is low. Jazz CEO Aamir Ibrahim commented that Starlink is not and should not be immune to internet shutdowns, however. Telcos also demanded equal regulatory treatment for Starlink, fearing that Pakistan’s lack of anti-dumping laws for telcos might mean that Starlink’s potential subsidies could disrupt the market unfairly.

April 3, 2025 - Comments Off on Two arrested in Karachi for using online platform to commit robberies, kidnappings

Two arrested in Karachi for using online platform to commit robberies, kidnappings

Two persons have been arrested in Karachi for stealing data from an online platform to contact customers regarding deliveries, and then showing up at their addresses impersonating the police, to carry out robberies and kidnappings. Among the items looted were police uniforms, mobile phones, TVs, car documents, ornaments, watches, gold, and cash. In some cases, the suspects kidnapped the victims and forced them to withdraw cash from various ATM and EasyPaisa machines across the city. During interrogation, the suspects admitted to carrying out multiple incidents within Karachi and in other areas, further details of which are currently being gathered.

March 31, 2025 - Comments Off on Man arrested over allegedly blasphemous Facebook post in Toba Tek Singh

Man arrested over allegedly blasphemous Facebook post in Toba Tek Singh

A man was arrested by the Kamalia police in a raid on Sunday, under charges of posting allegedly blasphemous content on his Facebook page. The police moved the suspect to an undisclosed location.
According to the FIR, the case was filed under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs). The arrest was made following a complaint by Sub-Inspector Muhammad Amer, acting on information about the post. Sub Inspector Amer also claimed that “blasphemous” material was recovered from the suspect’s phone.

March 26, 2025 - Comments Off on Five Given Death Penalty, Life, for alleged blasphemy online

Five Given Death Penalty, Life, for alleged blasphemy online

Five men from Rawalpindi have been given a collection of sentences that include the death penalty, life imprisonment and a combined total of one hundred years behind bars, as a result of a case filed by Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The complainant behind the case alleged in an application that at least one of the accused had allegedly been sharing blasphemous content, on WhatsApp and social media, in a “clear attempt to hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims”. According to Dawn, the case was filed under the following Sections of the law:

“Sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 295B (defiling, etc, of [a] copy of Holy Quran) and 295C (use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 11 (hate speech) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca).”

March 22, 2025 - Comments Off on Female TikToker Accused, Arrested for alleged Blasphemy

Female TikToker Accused, Arrested for alleged Blasphemy

A female TikTok user has been arrested and charged with allegedly making blasphemous statements on social media. A resident of the district of Muzaffargarh, the user was accused by three other locals of using what they considered to be “offensive” language in a religious capacity in a video, which they presented as evidence to the police. The case registered against her by Muzaffargarh police were filed under Pakistan’s overly broad and controversial blasphemy laws, with the specific sections being: Sections 295-A (“Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs”), and 298-A (“Uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings”)  of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

March 21, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistan Govt Grants Starlink Temporary Permission to Operate

Pakistan Govt Grants Starlink Temporary Permission to Operate

Starlink, the satellite internet network owned by the controversial billionaire Elon Musk, has been issued a temporary No Objection Certificate (NOC)* to operate in Pakistan, according to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT). IT Minister Shaza Fatima was quoted in a statement by the Ministry as saying that “Starlink has been issued a temporary NOC with the consensus of all security and regulatory agencies”. The IT Minister said that the MoITT had, according to Dawn News, “consulted with the Cybercrime Agency, security agencies, PTA and Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board, as part of a “Whole of government” approach.

*NOCs are legal certificates “issued by any agency, organization, and institute or, in certain cases, an individual”. In the context of Starlink, being granted an NOC allows foreign entities or individuals – such as foreign journalists or companies – to operate in Pakistan, after receiving approval from relevant agencies and government departments.

March 20, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Police in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have made what is being reported as the first arrest since the expansion of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). A Tiktoker and political activist for the PTI party allegedly published numerous posts that allegedly shared “misinformation and negative propaganda” against senior members of the armed forces and the Chief Minister of the Punjab. As reported by TechJuice, the case was filed “under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 20 of the PECA Act 2016”, “officials argue that such activity could erode public trust and fuel unrest.”

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Police in Dadu, in the province of Sindh, have filed formal First Information Reports (FIRs) against over 34 Pakistani social media users for “spreading false information with the wrong use of social media” as per a statement by the Dadu police force. According to the police, the suspects were accused of sharing false rumours and news pertaining to bomb blasts. The FIRs were registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which lists sharing fake news as being a criminal action as per Section 20. The Dadu Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been written to as well, to request further action.

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Establish Dept To Tackle “Blasphemy”: Council of Islamic Ideology

Establish Dept To Tackle “Blasphemy”: Council of Islamic Ideology

The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has told the government of Pakistan that it should establish a government department to proactively and specifically tackle what he considered blasphemy on social media platforms and websites. Speaking on the International Day Against Islamophobia, the CII chairman proposed that judges be selected to focus upon and decide alleged cases of blasphemy exclusively. Blasphemy and allegations of blasphemy are very sensitive and controversial in Pakistan, with numerous cases of people being physically attacked or even killed by vigilante mobs and lone wolves. Pakistan’s very broad blasphemy legislation carries the death penalty if one is found to be guilty of allegedly committing blasphemy.

March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Progress, New Deadline Set for Personal Data Protection Bill

Progress, New Deadline Set for Personal Data Protection Bill

A new 14-day deadline, from the time of publication, for the completion of the drafting of the Personal Data Protection Bill (PDPB) has been set by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), and forwarded to the Senate Standing Committee on IT. According to Ary News, “the revised draft of the bill has already been shared with relevant stakeholders, and their feedback is currently under review.”