Pakistan's Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved a bill on Thursday that would impose prison sentences and fines for promoting Zionism in Pakistan.
The legislation, introduced by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah, seeks to amend existing criminal laws to criminalize the promotion and display of Zionist symbols.
The committee met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Saleem, where it reviewed a slate of six legislative proposals, including "The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024," which Dr. Afnan Ullah had first presented in the Senate on April 29, 2024.
The bill aims to introduce Sections 160A and 160B into the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, addressing the preaching and display of Zionist ideology.
Section 160A stipulates that anyone found “knowingly or intentionally engaged in the preaching of Zionism” with the intent to incite societal hatred may face up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of PKR 40,000, or both. Section 160B targets the public display of Zionist symbols, imposing a penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a fine of PKR 30,000, or both for anyone displaying Zionist symbols in a manner that could “disturb public peace.”
The proposed amendments also seek changes to Schedule II of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, to enforce these new provisions across judicial processes.
What is Zionism?
The bill’s statement of objectives highlights the origins of Zionism as a movement initiated by Nathan Birnbaum in 1890. It evolved from an ethnic and religious movement into a political ideology, aiming to establish a Jewish homeland.
The committee stated that Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country founded on principles of religious harmony, cannot permit the promotion of Zionist symbols, citing the supremacy of Islam as foundational to its Constitution.
“Zionism represents a political school of thought that adopts extremist measures to achieve its objectives,” the statement read. It further argued that any display or promotion of Zionist ideology threatens Pakistan’s peace and contradicts its core values.
The committee’s approval sends the bill to the full Senate for further debate and potential ratification, representing a new step in Pakistan’s stance on the promotion of ideologies deemed incompatible with the nation’s religious framework.
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