Reporters Sans Frontiers (Reporters Without Borders), an international organisation which defends press freedom, has urged Pakistan's parliamentarians to reject the government's Defamation Amendment Bill-2004.
In a letter written to members of National Assembly, by Secretary General of RSF's Asia-Pacific Desk, Robert Ménard, emphasised the members to reject this amendment, which will come up for vote in the coming days.
This bill would amend the 'Defamation Ordinance-2002' and the sections 499 to 502 of the criminal code, increasing the penalties for persons found guilty of defamation.
These sections propose a penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 rupees (4,500 dollars), instead of three months in prison and 50,000 rupees (900 dollars), as is currently the case. These penalties are clearly excessive and violate free expression, he said.
While it is legitimate for every country to sanction libel and slander, the punishments imposed must respect the principle of proportionality and should under no circumstances result in a year's imprisonment, he added.
The letter further stated that the penalties proposed in this bill disregard international standards on free expression, according to which imprisonment for offences such as libel, insult or disrespect for a head of state "constitutes a serious violation of human rights."