Shireen Mazari rejects Hamid Mir's tweet as incorrect

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 6 July 2022

Shireen Mazari, a leader of PTI, has denied Hamid Mir's assertion about a cabinet-approved law punishing criticism of the military and judiciary. She clarified that the cabinet categorically rejected such a proposal during Imran Khan's tenure.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Shireen Mazari has denied a tweet by television presenter Hamid Mir who claimed the cabinet of former Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved a law with a punishment of five years for criticizing the army or judiciary.

"Absolutely incorrect," tweeted the former minister for human rights. She added that then law minister Nasim Farogh "had tried to introduce this clause as part of the criminal law reforms but cabinet rejected it categorically."

Mir's tweet was, in fact, a comment on the arrest of journalist and vlogger Imran Riaz Khan, which divided the journalists' fraternity.

The journalists who faced cases during the tenure of PTI tried to present Imran Riaz Khan as somebody who would defend the state's action against them.

Mir's tweet tried to convey that allegedly the PTI has fallen into the trap it prepared for others. "Federal cabinet headed by @imrankhanPTi unanimously approved a law of five years imprisonment for criticizing Army and Judiciary. Approval was given in February 2022. They wanted to use the law against opponents but…"

Mazari added: "As a result he failed to table the entire reforms bill in NA. Absolutely no cabinet approval was given. In fact unanimously rejected."

A tweet by PTIofficial advised Mir to delete the tweet, saying this was rejected by the cabinet. Hence this is factually incorrect tweet by you."