Amnesty International asks Pakistan to release eight persons on charge of sharing derogatory content

Amnesty International has urged Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to release eight people, arrested for sharing derogatory content on social media criticizing the state, reported local media.

South Asia Research Director, Dinushika Dissanayake, pointed out the arrest of 8 in an official statement issued by the rights advocacy group, Amnesty International, reported Dawn newspaper.

Dissanayake emphasized putting a stop to exerting "draconian" laws by the Pakistan authorities, saying that the 8 arrested were only exercising their right to freedom of expression. Furthermore, the Research Director exclaimed that Pakistan has always crushed peaceful protests from the opposition.

"The Pakistani authorities must stop using the draconian Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act to punish people who are simply exercising their right to freedom of expression online," she said.

"For far too long, successive governments have used this law as a tool to crush peaceful dissent and intimidate supporters of political opposition", Dissanayake added.

She also insisted that those eight people from Punjab territory, "must be immediately and unconditionally released" by the FIA.

( With inputs from ANI )