On Monday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) denounced Imran Khan’s allegations against a senior military officer as “baseless and irresponsible,” stating that they were “unacceptable, deplorable, and extremely unfortunate.” Imran Khan had accused the officer of planning his murder during a rally on Saturday, despite the absence of any evidence to support his claims.
Imran Khan had previously made similar accusations following an assassination attempt last year. He held Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and the same senior intelligence official responsible for the attack and demanded their resignations. Despite this, Imran Khan continues to make unfounded claims without proof. Despite receiving credible threats to his life, he has taken to the streets and claimed to have uncovered yet another plot to assassinate him.
Imran Niazi's act of routinely maligning and threatening Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agency for the sake of petty political gains is highly condemnable. His leveling of allegations without any proof against Gen Faisal Naseer and officers of our Intelligence Agnecy cannot be…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 7, 2023
The military’s media wing has issued a statement condemning Imran Khan’s unfounded accusations against a serving senior military officer. The report called Imran’s allegations “fabricated and malicious” and “extremely unfortunate, deplorable, and unacceptable.” The military also criticized the pattern of targeting military and intelligence officials for political gain and urged Imran to use legal avenues instead of making false allegations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also criticized Imran’s behavior, stating that his allegations without proof could not be allowed or tolerated.
Imran Khan twitted
to register an FIR? Does SS tweet mean mly officers are above the law or that they cannot commit a crime? If we allege one of them has committed a crime, how is institution being maligned?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 8, 2023
3. Who was so powerful as to sabotage Wazirabad JIT while PTI govt was in power in Punjab?
Imran Khan In response to Shehbaz’s criticism, Imran asked if he didn’t have the right as a citizen to nominate those he felt were responsible for assassination attempts against him. He also questioned whether military officers were above the law and why he was denied the right to register an FIR. Imran also referenced the clashes at the Islamabad Judicial Complex and alleged that assassins had been placed outside the complex to kill him. He demanded answers as to why ISI personnel were present and their motive.
Imran’s tweets suggest that he believes there is only the law of the jungle in Pakistan, where might is right, and those in power are above the law. However, his repeated unfounded allegations against military and intelligence officials have been criticized as irresponsible and baseless.
Report Finds Pakistan Among World’s Lowest Ranked Countries for Internet Access and Digital Governance in 2022
On Monday, human rights and advocacy organization Bytes For All launched a comprehensive report titled “Pakistan’s Internet Landscape 2022,” which examines the intricate relationship between human rights and information and communication technologies in the country. The report revealed that Pakistan remains among the world’s poorest performers regarding internet access and digital governance.
Jahanzaib Haque, Chief Digital Strategist and Editor at Technoutility authored the report, which stated that while Pakistan made some progress in internet access and overall governance, it continues to perform poorly compared to other countries, even within Asia. The report emphasized that despite increasing internet penetration, about 15% of the population still lacks access to the internet and mobile or telecom services.
The report also highlighted other challenges the Pakistani internet landscape faces, such as censorship, surveillance, and cyberattacks. It noted that censorship and surveillance had intensified recently, with the government blocking access to certain websites and social media platforms and monitoring citizens’ online activities.
The report also pointed out that Pakistan lacks effective data protection laws and institutions, leaving citizens vulnerable to privacy violations and cyberattacks. It noted that cybercrime is a growing concern in the country, with incidents like hacking and phishing rising.
Furthermore, the report called for greater transparency and accountability from the government regarding its policies and practices related to the Internet and information and communication technologies. It urged the government to adopt a human rights-based approach to digital governance and prioritize initiatives to improve internet access and connectivity, particularly for marginalized communities and remote areas.
Overall, the report comprehensively analyzes the state of internet access, governance, and human rights in Pakistan and underscores the urgent need for reforms and improvements.
The report noted that despite the introduction of several online initiatives by both federal and provincial governments, Pakistan’s efforts towards digital governance had been hindered by political turmoil and economic and climate crises. It stated that the country’s aspirations of becoming a progressive and competitive “Digital Pakistan” were dead, with only a few sporadic advancements made primarily by private enterprises or dedicated individuals and teams.
The report further stated that the catastrophic floods in the second half of 2022 had posed the greatest challenge to the government, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, including telecom and internet services. As a result, a national-level response was necessary, demonstrating the state’s strengths and weaknesses. The report concluded that the government needed to address these challenges and improve digital governance to uplift the country’s overall status regarding internet access and digital development.
The Reports
The report emphasized that the Pakistani government had introduced several online initiatives at the federal and provincial levels. Still, political turmoil and economic and environmental crises hampered their progress toward a ‘Digital Pakistan.’
The report noted that private enterprises and a few dedicated individuals or teams had made haphazard gains in some areas. However, the vision of a progressive and competitive ‘Digital Pakistan’ was no longer a reality.
The report further explained that the catastrophic floods that occurred in the second half of 2022 were the most significant challenge for the government. The floods impacted over 33 million people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including telecom and internet services. The state’s response to the floods demonstrated its capacity and vulnerabilities.
Highlights
According to the report, the floods that hit Pakistan in the second half of 2022 caused significant damage to the country’s telecom and internet infrastructure, leaving many flood-affected people and relief workers without communication tools during the emergency and beyond. Additionally, the report noted a steady rise in cybercrime in Pakistan, with over 100,000 complaints registered by December 2022, the highest number in the last five years. Women faced widespread harassment and blackmail online, while accusations of blasphemy originating from or connected to the digital space remained prevalent. Disinformation, particularly from India targeting Pakistan, reached new levels of sophistication and influence. The state and local actors’ existing environment provided fertile ground for such attempts to succeed. The report also highlighted the state’s efforts to control the online space by filing cases against journalists, activists, and political opponents expressing unfavorable views on social media. Pakistan’s e-commerce and fintech sectors faced negative trends due to the global economic downturn and Pakistan’s crises. Funding and deal counts for startups significantly declined in the second half of 2022. However, internet banking transactions saw a steep rise of 51.7% in the fiscal year 2022, reflecting the growing adoption of digital financial services in Pakistan. Internet banking users increased nearly 60% to 3.1 million in the past year.
The report highlighted the challenges flood-affected individuals and relief workers face due to the severe damage caused to the telecom and internet infrastructure. It also pointed out the steady rise of cybercrime in Pakistan, with harassment, blackmail, and blasphemy accusations remaining prevalent online and no effective measures taken to address them.
The report further noted the proliferation of disinformation online, with sophisticated disinformation campaigns originating in India targeting Pakistan. The report also highlighted the state’s efforts to control the online space by filing cases against journalists, activists, and political opponents and attempting to pass stricter defamation laws to suppress dissent.
The local e-commerce and fintech sectors experienced negative trends due to the global economic downturn and Pakistan’s crises. Although funding and deal counts for startups significantly declined in the second half of 2022, Pakistan’s startups managed to secure $348 million in funding throughout the year. On the other hand, internet banking transactions witnessed a steep rise of 51.7% in the fiscal year 2022, reflecting the growing adoption of digital financial services in Pakistan, with Internet banking users increasing by almost 60% to 3.1 million per year.
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