http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=69539
August 24, 2007
ISLAMABAD: The Electronic Crimes Bill 2007 has already been approved in
principle by the federal cabinet and will be enacted soon through an act
or an ordinance.
Addressing a news conference here on Thursday, Minister for Information
Technology and Telecommunications, Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said under
the porposed legislation the FIA would probe the e-crimes.
The minister said the e-crime law would require the internet companies
to maintain their traffic data for at least six months to enable the
agencies to investigate cases involving data stored by them.
Illegal interception in electronic communication like e-mail of another
person will get five-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs 500,000. Whoever
commits the offence of cyber terrorism and causes death of any person
shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, he added.
Leghari said anyone involved in attempt to obtain confidential
information of any other through electronic device like network system
or router will get up to two-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs 300,000.
An imprisonment for three years will be awarded for data damage crime
like illegally manipulating the financial record or other important
information of an organisation.
Similarly three-year imprisonment will be awarded in case of misuse of
electronic system or electronic device in which a person develops a
software or hardware with trap door for manipulation.
Persons involved in unauthorised access to codes will get three-year
imprisonment, the minister said.
Such misuse of encryption and using malicious code will invite
imprisonment of five years, while a person involved in cyber stalking
will get seven-year imprisonment and/or a fine of Rs 300,000.
Answering a question, he said the government had followed a thorough
consultative process, including study of similar laws being practiced in
42 countries.
Responding to a question, Leghari said illegal use of name of political
parties for issuance of press material would also be a punishable crime.
Received on Mon Aug 27 02:34:55 2007