Electronic Crimes, Internet and Violence: Jama’at-e-Islami and the Progressive Civil Society of Pakistan

Sajjad Hussain1, Muhammad Ayub Jan2, Wajid Mehmood3 & Muhammad Irfan Mahsud4

Abstract
This study explores the efforts of Jama‟at-e-Islami to win new religiously
popular support among the online population amidst the contesting voices from
the progressive civil society of Pakistan. The study found that while trying to gain
a religiously popular support through internet, a significant part of online message
of the Jama‟at-e-Islami constitutes anti-blasphemy material that reinforces some
of the state regulatory measures for online surveillance. Passage of the „Prevention
of Electronic Crimes Act‟ in August 2016 with some of its provisions introduces
stronger online surveillance and censorship “aimed” at the glory of Islam and
integrity of the state. Several cases of prosecutions, detentions and violence for
some online activities have since then been noticed. The study argues that a
significant part of the Jama‟at-e-Islami‟s online message reinforces these
regulatory measures which tend to normalize internet in Pakistan.

Key words: Jama‟at; progressive civil society; violence; regulatory control;
internet‟s normalization