National Assembly passes amendments to Peca law

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has passed the Electronic Crime Prevention (Amendment) Bill, 2025 amending the existing law and it has been strongly condemned by journalists. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) General Secretary Arshad Ansari told Private Television that the journalists would challenge the amendments in court and announced holding protests and boycotting the rally. The bill was passed within minutes of it being introduced by Federal Industries and Manufacturing Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain as the opposition parties had already backed out. Titled the “Prevention of Electronic Crime (Amendment) Act of 2025,” the proposal includes new definitions, the establishment of regulatory and investigative bodies, and tougher penalties for spreading “false” information. The government wants to reduce the punishment for spreading “false information” online to three years, where they could face a fine of up to Rs 2 million, according to the draft document. “Who knowingly disseminates, publicly displays or transmits any information through any information system which he knows or has reason to believe is false or untrue and is likely to cause or create a feeling of fear, panic, disorder or uneasiness. in the general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine which may extend to two million rupees or with both,” Section 26A of the Bill states.  The lower house of parliament gave its assent to the bill hours after journalism bodies – including PFUJ, Electronic Media Editors and News Directors Association, All Pakistan Newspapers Society, Newspaper Editors Council of Pakistan and Operators Association of Pakistan – rejected the proposed amendments. PFUJ General Secretary Arshad Ansari said in a statement that the government had earlier assured the media that it would bring the bill after consultation. “Earlier they passed a similar law in Punjab and now they have done the same at the Centre. In addition to the nationwide protests against the amendment, he said that it will also be challenged in the relevant forums, including the courts. Peca’s account Meanwhile, the new amendment also proposes the establishment of Social Media Protection and Review Authority (SMPRA), National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and Social Media Protection Tribunal. The Statement of Objectives and Reasons states that the e-Crime Prevention Act, 2025 aims to modernize and improve the legislative framework to combat cybercrime in Pakistan, ensure compliance with contemporary requirements and address the growing complexity of cyber threats. It further said that any person “damaged by false and untrue information” can approach the authority to remove or block access to such information, and the authority will issue orders within 24 hours of the request. According to the bill, the body should consist of a chairman and eight other members, including the secretary of the interior ministry, the chairman of Pemra and the chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) or any member of the PTA. “The Chairman and five members, excluding ex officio members, shall be appointed by the Federal Government for a non-renewable term,” he added. The proposed amendments also stated that the authority may require any social media platform to register itself in any manner, form and upon payment of such fee as may be prescribed. He added that in addition to the requirements of the law, other conditions or requirements may be imposed when acquiring a social media platform as deemed appropriate. The bill stated that the authority would have the power to issue directions to the social media platform to remove or block online content if it was against the ideology of Pakistan; incites the public to break the law, takes the law into its own hands, coerces, intimidates or terrorizes the public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions incites the public or a section of the public to cause damage to government or private property coerce or intimidate the public or a section of the public, thereby obstructing them in their lawful business and disrupting civil life incite hatred and contempt on religious, sectarian or ethnic grounds with the aim of inciting violence or causing internal disturbance contains anything obscene or pornographic in violation of any applicable law is known to be false or untrue or there are sufficient grounds to believe that the same may be false or untrue beyond reasonable doubt contains profanity against any person, including members of the judiciary, the armed forces, parliament or a provincial assembly or promoted and supported terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. In addition, the new amendments also proposed the establishment of a Social Media Complaints Board to receive and process complaints from victims of violations of any provision of the Cybercrime Act. The bill also proposed the establishment of a Social Media Protection Tribunal. Each tribunal will consist of a chairperson qualified as a Supreme Court judge, a press club-registered journalist and a software engineer. Tribunals must resolve cases within 90 days, appeals to the Supreme Court within 60 days. Meanwhile, it also proposed setting up an investigative agency called the National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate, investigate and prosecute offenses under the Act.