Islamabad:
Journalists broke out in protest across the country on Tuesday after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) -LED-Generating Coalition managed to bulldoze the controversial prevention of electronic crimes (PECA) amendments, 2025 also through the top house.
The National Assembly has already adopted the Bill, which, if adopted, can effectively mumble the media.
On Tuesday, PML-N senator Rana Tanveer Hussain presented the bill at a Senate meeting, President of Vice President Syedaal Khan in the middle of a protest from opposition legislators.
Hussain By tackling the house, Hussain said no law or change is unchangeable and can be changed. “The PECA bill is for social media platforms, not for electronic media or newspapers aimed at regulating civil society in a way that prevents social media abuse,” he said.
Opposition members, however, tore copies of the bill in the middle of chaos in the house.
Head of Opposition Senator Shibli Faraz said his party, PTI, does not support the bill. He said no one supports the spread of fake news, but criticized the defective procedure adopted to adopt the bill. There are necessary institutions, judges and lawyers to deal with cases related to fake news, he said.
Jamiat Urvila-e-Islam-Fazl (Jui-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza complained that his changes to the Peca Bill were neither approved nor rejected by the relevant committee. He called the Standing Committee’s report incomplete.
The house later approved the bill in the middle of a protest from opposition members.
During the passage of the bill, journalists also went out of the Senate Press Gallery in protest, along with PPP senator Sherry Rehman, who listened to their complaints.
The journalists later organized a protest march from Islamabad’s National Press Club to D-CHOWK. Attorneys and civil society representatives also actively participated in the protest.
To prevent the journalists’ rally from reaching parliament, a heavy quota was deployed by the police and barbed wire barriers were erected. However, journalists managed to cross barriers and reached the gates to D-CHOWK, where they staged a sit-in.
By approaching the collection, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalist (PFUJ) called President Afzal Butt Bill a ‘black law’. He said the government adopted the bill without consulting the media, the most significant stakeholder.
“This law is an attempt to suppress the voice of the media. Our movement against this draconic law has begun and will continue until its repeal,” he said.
The joint action committee for media organs staged a protest demonstration also in front of the Karachi Press Club in response to an appeal from PFUJ against the PECA amendment.
Representatives from various media organizations, civil society groups, unions, lawyer groups and teachers joined and supported the protest.
Prominent figures including journalists, media owners, editors and workers from organizations such as PFUJ, Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), Council for Pakistani newspaper editors (CPNE) and other addressed protesters.
“The government has to learn the lessons when it was previously used against the same party that had passed the law in a hurry,” said Mazhar Abbas, a senior member of PFUJ.
Mazhar Abbas characterized the situation as a ‘civil martial art’. He called on the Joint Action Committee to advocate the cancellation of Peca and said they would not compromise on their rights.
Azhar Abbas called on entity among media organizations to demonstrate collective strength to the government. PBA representative Qazi Ather confirmed the obligation to protect the freedom of press and said they would not allow their votes to be suppressed.
Karachi Bar Council also issued a statement condemning the bill that described it as include regressive changes that constitute an attack on fundamental freedoms.
Peca, a law passed in 2016 under PML-N government, was aimed at tackling cybercrime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to fight online violations such as hacking, data theft and cyber bullying. The law was continuously changed by subsequent governments.
This time, however, the PML-N government has tried to make some drastic changes in the law seeking to criminalize false news that can land a person in prison for up to three years, while also being responsible for a fine of up to RS2 Million.
It determines sanctions for sharing content expelled from the records of the National Assembly, the Senate and provincial assemblies on social media. The amended bill extends the definition of illegal content, including issues related to religion, national security, public order and contempt.
It also criminalizes activities such as encouraging crime or terrorism and spreading defamatory reports against constitutional institutions, extortion and defamation. Illegal content also includes pornography, copyright infringement and material that undermines peace and morals or promotes criminal activity.
The bill extends the definition of social media platforms to include tools, software, websites, applications and communication channels used for social media access.
One of the most important provisions of the new changes is the creation of Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), which will have authority to remove prohibited content and intervene against persons sharing such material.
The authority will also oversee the regulation of social media platforms and has been given the power to enforce compliance through directives and sanctions.
The bill also proposes the dissolution of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing, with its responsibilities transferred to the newly created National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
