Islamabad/Lahore:
Brushing the growing opposition, President Asif Ali Zardari aside, on Wednesday gave his consent to the controversial changes to the country’s cybercrime legislation despite the calls of journalists and media organizations to put the brakes on the bill.
The move came a day after the Senate pushed through the Prevention of the Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 changes that triggered nationwide protests from media workers who claimed the law was a gag order in disguise.
A press release issued by the Presidency confirmed that Zardari signed the prevention of bills for electronic crimes (amendments), 2025, together with the digital nation of Pakistan Bill and the National Commission on the Status of Women (change).
The signing followed the claims of the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) earlier on Wednesday that the president had accepted their request – communicated through senior politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman – to delay the bill.
“At the request of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the president has stopped the bill for some time until Pra Pakistan sends his proposals,” Pra said.
According to the Constitution, however, the president may return a bill to parliament once, but if he is sent back to him a second time, his consent is considered given, even if he does not sign it within ten days.
According to Pra, a delegation from the association with FAZL met, which then contacted President Zardari. FAZL expressed solidarity with Pra’s concerns about the bill’s approval “without consultations.”
The Jui-F chief reportedly forwarded the concerns of the Pra delegation and its president, Usman Khan, to the president.
He strongly called on Zardari “not to immediately sign the PECA change proposal,” emphasized that “journalists across the country have objected to certain sections of it” and calls for these concerns to be addressed.
The Presum of the Practice also claimed that Zardari assured FAZL on “full cooperation” and promised that consultations would be held between Pra and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on the bill.
Peca challenged in LHC
The PECA Change Act 2025 has been contested in Lahore High Court (LHC), with concerns raised over its influence on freedom of expression and press freedoms.
A written petition contested PECA amendment to the 2025 amendment, in which he requested the court to declare several of its provisions that are not constitutionally in accordance with various articles in the Pakistan Constitution, 1973.
The petition was filed by Lahore Press Club member Jaffar bin Yar through his lawyer, spokesman Nadeem Sarwar. The placement names the Election Commission in Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), MINISTRY OF LAW, CABINET DIVISION and MINISTRY OF INFORMATION Technology & Telecommunication as respondents.
The petition claims that the National Assembly quickly asked the approval of the PECA change proposal last week by suspending its own rules by bypassing the necessary control.
The petitioner claims that in the past, Peca has been used as a tool for dissent and that the new sanctions will further erode the country’s already limited freedoms.
The petition also claims that the changes were introduced without consultation with relevant stakeholders, including media organizations that violate constitutional protection for freedom of expression and expression.
The petitioner called on the court to knock it down and suspend all actions under the law until a final judgment is reached.
The petitioner claimed that the bill was introduced without any consultation or discussion with relevant stakeholders, including media and journalism organizations.
He argued that the haste that the bill was rushed through parliamentary lower house, eroded public confidence and raised serious concerns about the intention of the changes, especially their influence on constitutionally guaranteed rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of press.
He maintained that the changes were disproportionate, non-transparent and harmful to freedom of expression. The order of imprisonment and fines, he claimed, was excessive and seemed to be designed to cushion votes and suppress critical journalism rather than fight disinformation.
“The PECA change proposals are a new tool for self-censorship,” the petition said.
The petitioner also stated that the bill was passed without consultation or debate, and that the amendments are expanding PTA’s previously available powers by establishing the social media regulation and protection authority.
These provisions, he claimed, gave the authorities the power to block and remove content based on vague criteria, violate the right to freedom of expression and not fulfill international human rights standards for proportionality and necessity.
The changes also introduce a criminal act to convey “false and false information” that bears a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine.
The petitioner highlighted concerns about the vague and ambiguous language used to define this offense, and warned that it could be abused to stifle online expressions, especially considering the history of PECA used against disagreeing votes.
Bar to protest
Meanwhile, the Lahore Bar Association has announced a general house meeting today to discuss opposition to the PECA Regulation and the 26th Constitutional Change.
After the meeting, lawyers will arrange a protest march for CHARING CROSS in a show of the tross against the controversial legislation.
The Supreme Court’s Bar Secretary Salman Mansoor is expected to tackle the collection and raise alarms about the legal consequences of the PECA change proposal and its potential abuse against journalists and disagree votes.
