Islamabad: The bad prevention of electronic crimes (Peca) (amendment) 2025 on Wednesday received the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari the day after the Senate was improved despite protest against the opposition and journalistic authorities. According to a press release issued by President House, the President signed a bill after being approved by the National Assembly and the Senate. He also signed a bill on the digital nation of Pakistan 2025 and the National Commission for the position of Women (Amendment) 2025. The development comes the day after the Senate handed over changes to the controversial law and triggered protests throughout the country. Opposition parties and journalists’ bodies organized common protests across the country against the dubious improvement of the law of Peca after declaring “controversial” over “insufficient clarity” in many legal aspects, including the use of a “false report”. Media workers fear that the changed law will also be used to target them and will have an impact on the freedom of the press. Moreover, the media fraternity also expressed anger over the current government for the transfer of amendments without either consulting them or taking them into trust. Meanwhile, Aimal Wali Anp Anp said it was a “draconian law” because he imposed a limitation of freedom of speech. “The law smells of shoes,” he said, announcing a strike from parliament with other members of his party. Peca Bill The bill entitled “Prevention of electronic crimes (amendment), 2025” included new definitions, establishment of regulatory and investigative bodies, and stricter punishment for spreading “false” information. According to law, the government reduced the punishment for the spread of “false information” online to three years and at the same time faced a fine of up to 2 million Rs. “Anyone deliberately spreads, publicly exposes or transmits any information through any information system that he knows or has a reason to believe, or has a reason to believe the company is punished by imprisonment that can extend up to three years or a fine that can expand to two million rupees Or both, ”said section 26a of the bill. Meanwhile, the bill on the amendment also proposed to establish the protection of social media and the regulatory office (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and the Tribunal of Social Media. The statement of objects and reasons states that the prevention of electronic crimes (amendment) of Act 2025 is to modernize and strengthen the legislative framework for combating computer crime in Pakistan to ensure concurrent requirements and solving the growing complexity of cyber threats. In addition, it is reported that each person “damaged by false and false information” can contact authority to remove or block access to these information and the office would issue the commands of the latest 24 hours. According to the law, the Office should consist of the chairman and eight other members, of which the Ministry of the Ministry of the Interior, Chairman of Pemra and President of the Pakistani Telecommunication Office (PTA) or any member of the PTA should consist. “The chairman and five members, except for the former members, will be appointed the federal government for an uninhabited life years,” he added. The proposed changes have also stated that the office may require any social media platform to ask for any way, form and payment of those fees that can be determined. He added that in addition to the requirements of the law, other conditions or needs, as appropriate, they can also be determined when obtaining social media platform. The bill stated that the office should have the power to issue instructions on the social media platform to remove or block online content if it is against Pakistan’s ideology; It encourages the public to break the law, take the law into their own hands, forces, 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 ownership promote or intimidate the public or part of the public, thus preventing them from their statutory trade and disruption of civil life incite hatred and contempt for religious, sectarian or ethnic basis to arouse violence or cause internal intervention Contains anything obscene or pornographic as opposed to any relevant law It is known to be false or false, or there were sufficient reasons to believe that the same could be false or false outside of reasonable doubts It contains Asperise against any person, including members of the judiciary, armed forces, parliament or provincial assembly or promoted and encouraged terrorism and other forms of violence against the state or its institutions. In addition, new changes have also proposed the Institute of Council for Complaints on Social Media to receive and process complaints filed by the injured parties against violations of any provisions of the Computer Crime Act. The bill also proposed the establishment of courts for the protection of social media. Each tribunal will consist of a chairman who qualified as a judge of the High Court, a journalist registered with a press club and a software engineer. The courts must resolve cases within 90 days and the appeal is allowed to the Supreme Court within 60 days. It also proposed to set up an investigation agency called the National Agency for Investigation of Computer Crime (Nccia) for investigations, investigations and prosecution of the crimes referred to under this Act.
