Latest news with #PreventionofElectronicCrimes(Amendment)Act
Express Tribune
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
LHC questions PECA Act as journalists, politicians cry foul
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed authorities to submit by June 3 a detailed report of all First Information Reports (FIRs) registered under the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 (PECA). Justice Farooq Haider issued the directive while hearing a series of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of several provisions of the newly enforced PECA Amendment Act. Petitioners, including Rana Azeem, Secretary General of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and Malik Ahmad Bachar, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, have argued that the amendments infringe upon fundamental rights and democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. The petitions name the Federation of Pakistan, the Ministry of Interior, the Government of Punjab, and the Home Department as respondents. The petitioners have requested the court to declare the amendments null and void, alleging they are politically motivated and intended to suppress journalists and curtail freedom of expression. They contend that the PECA Amendment Act, 2025passed by both houses of Parliament and signed into law by President Asif Ali Zardarirepresents a dramatic expansion of government control over digital expression. As per the petitions, vague language and severe penalties in the law have fostered an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship, especially among journalists.
Express Tribune
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PECA amendments challenged in PHC
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (PECA) 2025 has been challenged in the Peshawar High Court (PHC). The writ petition filed in this regard has taken the stance that the recent amendments restrict fundamental rights such as freedom of expression, privacy and due process of law, which are in violation not only of the Constitution of Pakistan but also of international human rights. The writ petition has been filed by Advocate Noman Mohib Kakakhel on behalf of social media influencer and activist Anil Masih, in which the Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Interior, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and the Federal Investigation Agency have been made parties. According to the writ petition, the amended act is an attempt to suppress freedom of the press in the name of criminalizing dissent, giving unnecessary powers to regulatory bodies, and the clause of preventing "false and misleading information" can be used against journalists, social workers, and other citizens. According to the petition, the amendment act is made against Articles 4, 9, 10, 10-A, 19, 19-A, and 25 of the Constitution. The amendments restrict freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
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.
Times of Oman
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Pakistab: Journalist Union challenges controversial Peca law in IHC, calls it attack on media freedom
Islamabad : Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) filed a lawsuit in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday against the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Peca law). PFUJ President Afzal Butt, who described the act as an assault on media freedom, brought the complaint via Advocate Imran Shafique according to a report by Geo News. "The Peca (Amendment) Act is unconstitutional and illegal, hence, the court should conduct a judicial review on it," the plea read as cited by Geo News. The opposition parties, journalists, and media outlets criticized the lack of consultations and the terms of the Peca law, which was already problematic after the ruling coalition swiftly passed the controversial modifications from the National Assembly and the Senate. In the petition, the journalists' organization said that the Peca (Amendment) 2025 expanded governmental control and curtailed free speech as reported by Geo News. According to the report, the Peca law also violates Articles 19 and 19(A) of the Constitution. It argued that the statute ought to be suspended as a result. "The Peca (Amendment) gave the government unlimited censorship powers. Criminalising fake news without due process is unconstitutional and a violation of the media freedom," it maintained as cited by Geo News. According to the PFUJ, the law violated both Pakistani digital rights and international human rights. Shafique claimed that because the government aimed to stifle free speech, the law limited the freedom of the media. "There is no clear procedure to deal with fake information. The police can arrest anyone at any time under a cognisable offence," he said, adding that it would take him three to four years in courts for his defence if implicated in an offence as reported by Geo News. New definitions, the creation of regulatory and investigative agencies, and harsher punishments for spreading "false" information are all included in the law, which has already gone into effect after President Asif Ali Zardari's approval. In addition to a fine of up to Rs2 million, the new changes reduced the penalty for disseminating "fake information" online to three years. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), and the Social Media Protection Tribunal were also suggested to be established by the new revisions. Additionally, it said that anyone "aggrieved by fake and false information" might contact the authority to have the information removed or their access blocked, and the authority would grant their request within 24 hours as reported by Geo News. According to the new amendments, the authority may also mandate that any social media platform sign up for its services in any way and on the payment of any applicable fees.
