ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday signed Fair Trial Bill 2012 into law, that authorizes the spy agencies to intercept private communications in order to track suspected terrorists, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
The newly signed-law allows intelligence and law enforcement agencies to collect evidence “by means of modern techniques and devices” like wire-tapping and intercepting emails and SMS text messages that will be accepted in a court in cases registered under five security-related laws.
The provisions of the legislation will apply to all citizens within and outside Pakistan, all persons on board a ship or aircraft registered in Pakistan and to all transactions or communications originating or concluding in Pakistan by any person.
The bill, which was originally passed in December 2012, had triggered a controversy after certain quarters felt that the wire-tapping powers would threaten privacy and civil liberties.
However, the Senate unanimously passed the ordinance on February 1 despite objections from both the opposition as well as government allies.
Earlier, the bill had been contested by sections of the civil society that view this bill as a fundamental compromise on the civil liberties of Pakistani citizens.
DND
