President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has decided to postpone the signing of the controversial law on electronic crime in the prevention of crime following concerns that journalists raised.

The Parliamentary Report Association (Pra) expressed its opposition to the PECA law through Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who reached the president. He called on the president to postpone the signing of the bill until journalists’ concerns are sufficiently addressed, Express News reported.

Sources say President Asif Ali Zardari has delayed the bill for a while at the request of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, agreeing not to sign the PECA change proposal until journalists’ concerns are dealt with.

According to sources, Maulana informed Fazlur Rehman Pra about her communication with the president about the bill reported Express News.

Sources also mention that discussions between federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Journalist Organizations are underway before they sign the PECA law and a meeting is expected between Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the parliamentary reporter association soon.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) said it was not aware of a lack of consultation on the controversial prevention of the Electronic Crimes Act (amendment) 2025 (PECA), which it had supported in both houses.

PPP -Vice President Sherry Rehman, who spoke to journalists in Islamabad, said Tuesday that they were told that all stakeholders would be taken on board, “as you can see that no thing happened”. She assured the journalists of her party’s support to support any changes to this law proposed by media bodies.

PPP -President Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed the same concerns as Sherry and said it would have been better for this legislation if journalists’ organizations had been heard of creating a consensus.

Formerly staged joint action committee of media legies a protest demonstration ahead of Karachi Press Club on Tuesday in response to an appeal from the Pakistan Federation of Union of Journalists (PFUJ) against a recent change in Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).

Representatives from various media organizations, civil society groups, unions, lawyer groups and teachers joined and supported the protest.

Peca, a law passed in 2016, was passed by lower and upper houses for the purpose of tackling cybercrime and regulating electronic communication in Pakistan. It was intended to fight online violations such as hacking, data theft and cyber bullying. Many journalists and media organizations have raised concerns about its consequences for freedom of press and freedom of expression.

“The government has to learn the lessons when it was previously used against the same party that had passed the law in a hurry,” commented Mazhar Abbas, a senior member of PFUJ.

What is peca?

The Pakistani government strengthens the law on the prevention of electronic crimes (PECA) with new changes to tackle fake news and illegal online content. The proposed law on the prevention of electronic crimes (amendments) 2025 imposes serious sanctions, including up to three years in prison and fines of RS2 million for the spread of disinformation.

An important provision is the creation of a Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), which is tasked with regulating social media platforms and removing illegal content.

DRPA will have powers to investigate complaints, remove content and enforce digital ethics. The changes also redefine social media platforms and require compliance with social media companies that may require registration and appointment of local representatives.

While supporters believe the amendments are important to fight false news and hate opinion, critics warn of potential censorship and abuse.