Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) expressed concern over the notice issued to journalist and columnist Taufeeq Butt summoning him to appear before the National Cyber Crime Investigations Agency Lahore over a complaint regarding a column he wrote where he used the term “Bureau-Corrupts.”
Journalists must be able to report, analyse and comment on matters of public interest without fear of legal intimidation or undue pressure. PPF emphasises the need for the implementation of international standards of necessity and proportionality in monitoring free expression in Pakistan while ensuring that the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression under Article 19 are protected.
On June 16, the NCCIA Lahore summoned Butt in connection with an inquiry initiated on a complaint filed by a complainant named Babar Aman Babar over his column, titled “Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Irshad Bhatti aur Meraj Khalid,” published on the website and associated digital and electronic platforms of Daily Nai Baat (Lahore) on June 11.
The notice stated that the use of the term in the column referencing bureaucrats including officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) was “falsely portraying and imputing dishonesty and corruption to an entire class of civil servants.”
As per the notice, the complainant stated that the expression was “derogatory, demeaning, and defamatory,” causing harm to the reputation, dignity, and public standing of the PAS and its officers.
It stated that the publication also exposed members of the service to public ridicule, contempt, hatred, and unjust criticism while undermining public confidence in the constitutional service through what the complainant described as “sweeping and baseless allegations of corruption and misconduct.”
The NCCIA notice directed Butt to appear before the investigation agency on June 19 to record his statement and present his defense.
In a post shared on his social media, Butt rejected the allegations, stating that he had not named any individual or institution and that his criticism was directed only at certain officials accused of wrongdoing, not the entire bureaucracy.
According to Dawn, Advocate Usama Khawar argued that the action was inconsistent with an Islamabad High Court ruling which struck down the section of the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) that had extended the scope of defamation to public functionaries and state institutions.
The All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) called for the immediate withdrawal of the notice, criticising it as an inappropriate use of PECA against print media. APNS leaders argue that this action undermines press freedom.
APNS President Senator Sarmad Ali and Secretary General Muhammad Athar Kazi stated that the notice was triggered by a complaint from the Pakistan Administrative Service Association regarding a phrase used in a newspaper column. They described the issuance of the notice as a direct challenge to public discourse and an encroachment on journalistic independence.
