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Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PECA Act: Respondents asked to submit comments
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) gave a deadline to the respondents to submit comments in the petitions challenging amendments in the PECA Act. A single bench of Justice Inaam Ameen Minhas on Wednesday heard the petitions of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), anchors association and Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA). In the petition, counsel of the journalist body adopted the stance that the PECA (Amendment) Act is unconstitutional and illegal; hence, the court should conduct judicial review on it. The petition said the PECA (Amendment) 2025 increased the government control and restrictions on freedom of speech. It said the PECA law violated Article 19 and 19(A) of the Constitution as well. Therefore, it pleaded, the law should be suspended. PECA amendments challenged in SC During the hearing, Advocate Imran Shafiq and other lawyers appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioners. Advocate Shafiq said the federal government has filed its reply only through the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Information while the Ministry of Law and Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and the PTA have not submitted any response yet. He informed the bench that the federal government has raised a question on the jurisdiction of this court. He added that the federation has stated that after the 26th Constitutional Amendment, only the Constitutional Bench of the High Court can hear this case. The lawyer said the second objection was raised while giving a reference of a Quranic verse that before spreading the words, do research. The lawyer said the FIRs are being registered against people and the court should hear this case soon. The IHC bench asked whether there is no news going on? Is someone preventing news from being given or published? Riasat Ali Azad advocate prayed the court to issue a stay order that there will be no FIR or arrest against the journalist for reporting the news. He said that the parties are not submitting a response and are taking time from the court. Journalist Mazhar Abbas said that an atmosphere of harassment has been created in the media industry and the journalists are being summoned and harassed by the FIA. The petitioner's lawyer said the parties should be directed to file their replies and provide a copy of the replies to the petitioners in advance before the next hearing. Justice Inaam remarked that even if the response is not filed, the hearing will still be continued. He said that this case would take a long time and therefore, it will be scheduled after Eid. Later, the court deferred hearing of the case till the second week of July. The PFUJ said in the petition that the law infringed international human rights as well as digital rights in Pakistan. The petition read: '…a writ may be issued declaring that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 is unconstitutional, being violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, due process, fair trial, and the concept of regulatory independence, as well as the doctrines of fairness, proportionality, reasonableness, and constitutional limitations or restrictions, hence void, and liable to be struck down.' Therefore, the PFUJ prayed that the respondents may be restrained and prevented from employing the coercive powers under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, in general, and against the journalist community, in particular till final disposal of the instant petition. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Moot discusses media freedom, challenges
To mark World Press Freedom Day, the Abbottabad Union of Journalists organised a seminar highlighting the importance of press freedom and the challenges faced by journalists in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, senior journalist Ali Ahmed Khan, who was the chief gust, emphasised that journalism in Pakistan has been under pressure since its inception. "Suppressing the truth is a betrayal not just of ourselves but of the nation. Every regime has made promises about freedom of expression, but all have taken steps to curb it," he added. Khan stressed that journalists only demand the right to speak the truth, adding that press freedom is a fundamental right that must be protected by all. Other speakers echoed these sentiments, noting that World Press Freedom Day is a time to renew commitment to the profession and to continue being the voice of the vulnerable and marginalised. Participants also highlighted the role of PFUJ in defending journalists' rights, warning that Pakistan remains one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. They strongly criticized the enforcement of laws such as the PECA Act, labeling them as tools for silencing dissent. In conclusion, the speakers praised the sacrifices made by journalists in the pursuit of truth and reaffirmed their resolve to continue the struggle for a free press. The event concluded with the presentation of a commemorative shield to Ali Ahmed Khan by the Abbottabad Union of Journalists. Prominent journalists and representatives from various organizations including Syed Fakhar Kakakhel from Peshawar, Muhammad Shahid Chaudhry Secretary General of the PFUJ, Muhammad Amir Shehzad Jadoon Executive Council Member PFUJ, Atif Qayyum President of Abbottabad Union of Journalists, Saqib Khan General Secretary, and others participated in the seminar.
Times of Oman
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
IFJ demands repeal of Pakistan's PECA law, cites threat to press freedom
Karachi : The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) president, Dominique Pradalie, has demanded that the contentious Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) law be repealed in light of recent changes made by the Pakistani government, according to The News. According to a report by Geo News, The subject was debated during the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) Congress in Islamabad, where Pradalie was present, according to a post she made on X on Thursday. She retweeted a post by a PFUJ member and wrote, "At the PFUJ congress in Islamabad, we asked for the abolition of Peca law endangering seriously the journalism in Pakistan," as quoted by Geo News. The prison term for "intentionally disseminating false and fake information" has been lowered from seven years to three years as a result of the modifications, which try to control the spread of information. They also impose stricter sanctions for disseminating "false" information, new definitions, and regulatory agencies, Geo News reported. Geo News report highlighted that numerous political figures, journalists, and professionals have criticized the amended Peca law, which has also been challenged in several national courts. Furthermore, the IFJ's critique of the amended Peca law coincides with ongoing nationwide journalistic protests against the contentious modifications, which they say jeopardize press freedom. During a hunger strike camp outside Islamabad's National Press Club, PFUJ President Afzal Butt said: "We will also call an all-party conference (APC) against Peca law. The last call will be for a sit-in at Parliament with no return date" as quoted by Geo News. In a separate hunger strike camp outside Lahore Press Club, its President Arshad Ansari said that the protest against Peca law "will continue until the end of this law". "The government is making law upon law to suppress the truth" quoted Geo News. Geo News report revealed that the international journalism organization has previously joined other organizations representing journalists in their criticism of the Peca law and its revisions. In its statement last month, the IFJ said, "The amendments to Pakistan's draconian PECA represent a transparent attempt to further tighten control over digital expression and internet freedom under the guise of curbing misinformation," as cited by Geo News. "By extending government jurisdiction online, broadening censorship powers, and imposing penalties for vaguely defined offences, this legislation threatens journalists, activists, and the public's right to information" quoted Geo News.
Express Tribune
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PECA is a bland act, says Fazl
ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the opposition party fired a broadside against the recently-enacted Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment Act (Peca), terming it a law to gag the media and usurping the people's fundamental right of freedom of expression. Addressing a seminar on 'Challenges Facing the Media in Pakistan', organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed PECA act a bland act. Fazl said that the government should not make a code of conduct for journalists, rather it should be prepared by the journalists themselves. He added that every dictator had violated the sanctity of the Constitution, democracy, and parliament. Speaking at the seminar, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said that fake people had been brought to parliament, who were only taking orders and not representing the people. He praised the efforts of Fazl in the passage of a balanced 26th Constitutional Amendment. He added that even if the current government withdrew the Peca Act, it won't be acceptable. He said that the movement against the government should not stop. The Peca Act, he said, was brought to eliminate fake news and asked what the remedy was when the government lied to the people. Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said that one pillar of the legislature fell, when parliamentarians were picked up in the night. All the amendments that had been passed were not possible had the political parties were not hypocritical. "We will fight for the rights of the people and we will succeed. This parliament has lost its worth, the government has collapsed, and the last pillar, journalism, has also been attacked through PECA. They want this society to become deaf and dumb," he added.
Express Tribune
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Journalists will only report weather if PECA is enforced, IHC told
Listen to article During the hearing of a petition on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca), 2025, in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a lawyer warned that if the law is enforced, journalists and the media will be left reporting only on the weather. The IHC heard a petition on Tuesday challenging the law, which journalists argue violates constitutional rights and restricts press freedom. During the proceedings, lawyer Imran Shafique and Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Riyasat Ali Azad pointed out serious legal inconsistencies in the law. Shafique argued that Peca was passed in haste, with errors in legal drafting, including duplicated and contradictory sections. Azad contended that the law violated Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and access to information. 'If Peca is enforced, journalists will have nothing left to report except the weather,' he remarked. Court questions fake news regulation Presiding over the hearing, Justice Inaam Amin Minhas asked whether stopping fake news should be a priority. 'Fake news is indeed a problem,' he noted. PFUJ President Afzal Butt countered that while journalists oppose misinformation, media regulation must not infringe on fundamental rights. 'We support responsible journalism, but censorship disguised as regulation is unacceptable,' he said. The petitioners urged the court to suspend the law, prompting the IHC to issue a notice to the attorney general. The court said a new hearing date would be set by the Registrar's Office. PFUJ challenges cybercrime law The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) filed a petition last week, calling Peca an attack on press freedom. It argued that the amendments expand government control over speech and criminalise fake news without due process. The petition also claimed that Peca violates international human rights and digital freedoms, urging the court to strike it down. What does Peca do? The amended Peca law lowers the maximum prison sentence for spreading false information to three years and imposes fines of up to Rs2 million. It also introduces new regulatory bodies, including the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), and Social Media Protection Tribunals. The law allows individuals to request the removal of 'fake' content within 24 hours and mandates social media platforms to register with authorities. Cases filed under Peca must be resolved within 90 days, with appeals allowed to the Supreme Court within 60 days. The amendments were passed quickly by the government, drawing criticism from opposition parties, journalists, and media watchdogs over a lack of consultation and potential threats to press freedom.
