00:00 The Army Act was adopted in the Senate in 1992. The Minister of Defence and the Minister of Justice presented the bill in the Army Act.
00:07 The person who disclosed information in the government's name for 5 years will be sentenced to 5 years of hard imprisonment.
00:14 Brigadier Retired Waqar Hassan is with us. Waqar, what would you like to say on this bill?
00:19 There are three important aspects in this bill.
00:23 One is the non-disclosure clause which was applied earlier but has been tightened.
00:28 The second is the conflict of interest where national security is impinged.
00:33 If you have worked in the defence sector and you do unauthorised leakage based on political or international power,
00:49 which goes against the interests of the army or defence forces, then you will be charged with a prison reserve.
00:57 Similarly, those who have served under the Pakistan Army Act, including civilians and military,
01:04 like a colonel major, who are paid out of defence estimates, like people who work in GHQ,
01:10 or in nuclear facilities or agencies,
01:13 it will be applicable to them as well.
01:16 If you have served in the routine, then you can't be charged with political activity for 2 years.
01:20 This is an old clause as well.
01:23 If you have served in the organisation, then you can't be charged with political activity for 5 years.
01:30 The same is true if you have retired and you are a member of a political party or a campaigner.
01:39 So I think this is a very strict check.
01:42 Then there is the Electronic Crimes Act against the army or defence forces.
01:49 This has been a hot topic in other countries. In India, if you look at their social media laws in 2023,
01:55 there are 10 agencies, including RAW, and the police in Delhi, Kashmir, and their military intelligence.
02:06 They are allowed to check any person, anywhere.
02:10 You can check your laptop or mobile in the street if you are doing any anti-state activity.
02:17 This is not in our law.
02:19 Similarly, there are strict laws on the protection of the military and the garrison.
02:23 This is in the UK.
02:25 Similarly, there is no such thing in the US, which Pakistan has done for the first time.
02:28 There are military installations everywhere, like the incidents of 9th May,
02:31 where you went and assaulted and vandalised.
02:34 This is not allowed anywhere.
02:36 You can't even shout at an officer.
02:38 And the third thing is the conflict of interest.
02:42 If you look at the Oaths that your ministers, governors, or prime ministers take,
02:48 it is already stated that you cannot use the national secrets politically,
02:55 especially if the enemy can take advantage of it.
02:58 So, where there is a conflict of interest with the state, with national security,
03:03 like the issue of the cipher, where confidential information is used politically,
03:09 it will affect our relations with our friends.
03:13 So, I think these things will be checked.
03:15 And it is necessary because it has become so common these days that
03:19 you see the end of internal matters on WhatsApp or social media.
03:24 And internal information is leaked in such a way that it is harming the state and the defence forces.
03:30 So, firstly, it is not unprecedented.
03:32 And secondly, it will be checked whether you have a cipher or any other information.
03:38 In this way, the information will not be shared by the enemy.
03:42 So, I think stringent laws are needed because social media has become so viral in the post-Tukhira era
03:49 that there is no confidentiality in it and the enemy takes advantage of it.
03:53 Okay, Brigadier, how much help will you get from the propaganda you talked about on social media to stop it?
04:00 Yes, definitely, because people used to cover it in the laws.
04:05 Even actually when the PICA ordinance was coming, I think people went to Islamabad and Haikod and took a stay.
04:11 Now, when these changes will come under the Parliament Act, then definitely help will be received.
04:16 Because electronic crimes are very interesting.
04:18 I will give you an example from the UK, they did not bring any special law in it,
04:21 but they have qualified that whatever the violation of social norms is,
04:26 for instance, you cannot harass, you cannot abuse in the street, you cannot give it on social media.
04:32 So, straight away the British law is invoked and it is punished according to that.
04:37 So, I think people will definitely feel more responsibility on social media.
04:42 And whatever you do, after all, especially if it is viral and there is a big leader or celebrity or a political leader,
04:49 even a common man whose following is there, when he does it, the message goes to millions of people.
04:55 After that, you cannot undo it, as much damage as possible.
05:01 And from there, I think, a sense of responsibility will also come,
05:03 in the citizens, in the leadership, that you cannot damage the state or the defence institutions in this way.
05:08 So, I am sure it will help in a big way.
05:10 Okay, thank you very much. We were with you, Brigadier-in-Retire, Bakkar Hassan.
05:15 and solve.
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