[bestbits] SUCCESS! Fwd: Mobile Network Shutdowns declared Illegal

Mon Feb 26 08:19:45 EST 2018

Dear Umer,

Thanks for the kind words but you stand as the REAL HERO of global Digital Rights Movement today. If there is any recognition to be given, it should be to people like you for their untiring work.

You pulled this amazing victory single handedly for all of us to celebrate. We owe it all to you and your team. Huge respect!

In solidarity, we are on standby for absolutely any assistance for your future work. The two lead researchers are also copied on this thread and I am sure they would also love to guide us all further.

This amazing victory, again make us firmly believe that good research can do wonders on the ground :)

Thanks again and more power to you :)

Best wishes and regards

Shahzad
on behalf of Bytes For All and its members

On Feb 26, 2018, at 6:07 PM, Umer Gilani <umer.gilani at gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Shahzad sahib,

Thank you so much for sharing this update with friends in the digital rights community. The  decision this morning is a small victory for digital rights but it looks bigger when viewed in the general context of a shrinking space for rights discourse in this country - as in many others.

This little victory would not have been possible without the the courage of four public-spirited citizen-petitioners who dared to challenge the state at a time when nobody else had the courage and the thorough research conducted by BytesforAll and made freely available to the public. I must acknowledge that without this support, it would not have been possible for me to file this case and and bring it this far.

Hope to stay in touch.

Regards,

Umer Gilani
Advocate High Courts
++92 301 5011568

On 26 Feb 2018 16:13, "shahzad ahmad" <shahzad at bytesforall.pk <mailto:shahzad at bytesforall.pk>> wrote:
Dear Colleagues,

Here is a public statement and detailed judgment of the case:

https://www.bytesforall.pk/post/verdict-islamabad-high-court-declares-network-disconnections-illegal <https://www.bytesforall.pk/post/verdict-islamabad-high-court-declares-network-disconnections-illegal>

For your kind information.

Best wishes and regards

Shahzad

--
Shahzad Ahmad
Country Director, Bytes for All, Pakistan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BytesForAllPakistan <https://www.facebook.com/BytesForAllPakistan>
Twitter: @bytesforall | @sirkup
Office Landline: +92 51 8437981 <tel:(051)%208437981> | Cell: +92 333 5236060 <tel:0333%205236060>

On Feb 26, 2018, at 3:30 PM, Lucy Purdon <lucyp at privacyinternational.org <mailto:lucyp at privacyinternational.org>> wrote:

Wow, this is fantastic news!!

Umer, we are all extremely grateful for your work. I look forward to reading the judgement and discussing next steps!

All the best on this great day!

Lucy

Lucy Purdon
Policy Officer
Privacy International
+44(0)2034224321 <tel:+44%2020%203422%204321>
Skype: lucypurdon

> On 26 Feb 2018, at 07:10, shahzad ahmad <shahzad at bytesforall.pk <mailto:shahzad at bytesforall.pk>> wrote:
> 
> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> This is the most wonderful news in days and a great victory for the digital rights movement.
> 
> Yet again, it proves that how Research can bring wonderful policy changes that we all are striving for.
> 
> Umer cced is a young brilliant lawyer based in Islamabad and he took this initiative at his own based on the following published research.
> 
> https://www.bytesforall.pk/publication/network-shutdowns-pakistan <https://www.bytesforall.pk/publication/network-shutdowns-pakistan>
> 
> We are extremely thankful for all the great work by Umer and his team for taking this up in the court.
> 
> Thanks are also due to Dr. Lucy Purdon and Dr. Ben Wagner for their amazing timely work and helping us conduct this research in Pakistan. Also copying Salil Bhai at IHRB, who was great help and support as always.
> 
> We look forward to your advice on how to take this forward.
> 
> Best wishes and regards
> 
> Shahzad
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Shahzad Ahmad
> Country Director, Bytes for All, Pakistan
> Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BytesForAllPakistan <https://www.facebook.com/BytesForAllPakistan>
> Twitter: @bytesforall | @sirkup
> Office Landline: +92 51 8437981 <tel:(051)%208437981> | Cell: +92 333 5236060 <tel:0333%205236060>
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: Umer Gilani
> Subject: Mobile Network Shutdowns declared Illegal
> Date: February 26, 2018 at 10:37:29 AM GMT+5
> To: shahzad ahmad <shahzad at bytesforall.pk <mailto:shahzad at bytesforall.pk>>
> Cc: Haroon Baloch <haroon at bytesforall.pk <mailto:haroon at bytesforall.pk>>, tehmina <tehmina at bytesforall.pk <mailto:tehmina at bytesforall.pk>>
> 
> Dear Shahzad sahib
> 
> Just an hour ago, the Islamabad High Court has allowed the petitions filed by public interest petitioner against mobile network shutdowns. The shutdowns have been declared as illegal being contrary to the provisions of Section 54 of the PTA Act which states that the government can exercise this drastic power only when a Proclamation of Emergency has been issued - which has happened only a couple of times in our history. In all other circumstance, the shutdowns are illegal.
> 
> The ruling, being against PTA and Federal Government, would be applicable all over Pakistan.
> 
> While we expect an appeal, this is nonetheless a great victory for digital rights in the context of present day Pakistan.
> 
> We have applied for a copy of the detailed judgment. Once we have the detailed judgment, it would be helpful to arrange a round-table of the sort we discussed when we last met.
> 
> Regards,
> Umer Gilani, LLM (Washington), BA-LLB (LUMS)
> 
> Partner
> The Law and Policy Chambers
> Office No. F-24, Afzal Center,
> Opp. Islamabad High Court, G-10/1
> 
> 
> 
>  <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>	Virus-free. www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail> <>

--
Shahzad Ahmad
Country Director, Bytes for All, Pakistan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BytesForAllPakistan
Twitter: @bytesforall | @sirkup
Office Landline: +92 51 8437981 | Cell: +92 333 5236060

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