Islamabad: The draft amendment to the Act on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) was approved on Monday by the Permanent Committee of the Senate for Internal Affairs, despite the resistance from both the Journalists’ Union and Jamiat Ulema-E-Flalam-Fazl (Jui-F). During the discussion of the law, Senator Jui-F Kamran Murtaza expressed concern about the hurried passage, Geo News said. “How can this bill be approved so quickly? Wasn’t there enough time to read, let alone consultations,” he wondered. He criticized the bill for his vagueness and said that the concept of “false messages” is not defined, raising questions as to how it would be determined. Senator PML-N Irfan Siddiqui acknowledged journalists’ fears and said, “It would be better to consult journalists in advance. However, we agree with the essence of the bill, because the solution to the problem of false reports, especially on social networks, is essential. The Minister of the Interior asked the Committee to pass the bill in its current form as approved by the National Assembly, with the government to make amendments to improve its implementation. Meanwhile, Pfuj announced that on Tuesday (tomorrow) it will organize a nationwide protest against the Peca law, with the Senate passed by the draconian law. “This law limits the media, social media and freedom of expression. The Government was sent a call that demanded the consultation of the law with all parties involved, but the government did not hear it, ”said the Association of Journalists, saying that the law rejected as“ unconstitutional ”. On the other hand, the chairman of Pakistani Tehreek-E-insf (PTI) Barrister Gohar Khan said that the delegation of the moderators of the news had met him and expressed concern about the Peca law. GoHar said the law had passed the assembly in minutes and described it as an attempt to arrest people under the pretext of false news. “The government quickly adopts laws. You bring people to new problems [through it],” he said. On 23rd January, the National Assembly passed the Peca Act (apendment) of 2025, amending the existing controversial law, provoking sharp criticism by press bodies and opposition. General Secretary of the Pakistani Federal Union of Journalists (PFJ) Arsad Ansari said Geo News that journalists would attack amendments in court and announced a boycott of the meeting of the Assembly. The bill was approved in minutes after it was introduced by the Federal Minister of Industry and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain because the opposition parties have already resigned. This includes new definitions, the establishment of regulatory and investigative authorities, and stricter penalties for spreading “false” information. The government wants to reduce the punishment for the spread of “false information” online to three years, where according to the document, they may face a fine of up to 2 million RS. “Who deliberately spreads, publicly displays or transmits any information through any information system that he knows or has a reason to believe that he is false or false and is likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic, mess or restlessness. In the general public or society, it will be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to two million rupees or both, ”says Section 26a of the bill. The Lower Chamber of Parliament gave their consent to the bill several hours after the journalistic bodies – including PFUJ, the Association of Electronic Media editors and reports, the Society of all Pakistani newspapers, the Council of Pakistan newspapers and the Pakistan Operators Association – rejected the proposed amendments. The newly amended bill also proposes the establishment of the Office for the Protection and Regulation of Social Media (SMPRA), the National Agency for Investigation of Cyber Crime (NCCIA) and the Tribunal for Social Media. The aim of the objectives and reasons is stated that the aim of the Electronic Crime Prevention Act is to modernize and improve the legislative framework for combating cybercrime in Pakistan, ensure compliance with current requirements and solve the growing complexity of cyber threats. It also stated that each person “damaged by false and false information” may contact the Office to remove or block access to such information, and the Office issues orders within 24 hours of the application. According to the bill, the body should consist of the chairman and eight other members, including the Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Chairman of Pemra and President of the Pakistani Telecommunication Office (PTA) or any member of the PTA. “The chairman and five members, with the exception of Ex-Officio members, will be appointed by the Federal Government for the non-renewable term,” he added. The proposed changes also stated that the Office may require that any platform of social media registers in any way, in the form and after payment of such a fee that can be prescribed. He added that in addition to the requirements of the law, there may be other conditions or requirements that are considered appropriate when obtaining a social media platform. The bill stated that the Office would have the power to issue instructions to the Social Media platform to remove or block online content if it was against Pakistan’s ideology; He encourages the public to violate laws, take law into his own hands, enforce, intimidate or terrorize the public, individuals, groups, communities, government officials and institutions stimulates the public or part of the public to cause damage to government or private property forcing or intimidating the public or part of the public and thus preventing them from their legal business and disrupting civil life incite hatred and contempt for religious, sectarian or ethnic reasons to stimulate violence or cause inner unrest contains anything obscene or pornographic contrary to any valid law It is known to be false or false, or there are sufficient reasons to believe that the same may be beyond doubt contains vulgar expressions against any person, including members of the judiciary, armed forces, parliament or provincial assembly or promoted and promoted terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. In addition, new amendments also proposed to establish a Council for Complaints on Social Networks that would accept and process complaints from damaged to breach of any provisions of the Act on Computer Crime. The bill also proposed the establishment of the Tribunal for the Protection of Social Media. Each tribunal will consist of a chairman of qualified as a Supreme Court judge, a journalist registered in a press club and a software engineer. Tribunals must resolve cases within 90 days, appeal to the Supreme Court within 60 days.
