Jan 29, 2025
Staff Report
LAHORE
As concerns over digital censorship intensify, a petition launched by digital rights activist Usama Khilji and senior journalist Munizae Jahangir is rallying the opposition against the recently passed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Though the Senate has approved the contentious bill, nearly 200 people have signed the petition, urging the government to reconsider the law, which critics warn will be used to suppress dissent and restrict freedom of speech.
The amendments introduce stringent penalties for disseminating so-called ‘false and fake information’ including up to three years in prison and fines of Rs2 million. However, rights groups and legal experts argue that the vague wording of the law leaves it open to abuse, enabling authorities to target journalists, activists, and political workers.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has called for the immediate withdrawal of the amendments, warning that they criminalize free expression and pose a serious threat to democratic discourse.
In Pakistan, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also strongly condemned the law, stating that it is “likely to become yet another means of targeting political workers, rights activists, and journalists.”
The petition, launched on January 26, 2025, emphasizes that the amendments will instill fear, promote self-censorship, and erode fundamental rights.
“These draconian laws are a blatant violation of our constitutional rights,” the petition reads, urging citizens to stand against the bill.
Shockingly, despite much public outcry, the Senate proceeded with the bill’s approval, triggering protests from journalists and media organizations. Journalists staged a walkout during the Senate session, denouncing the amendments as an attempt to muzzle independent reporting.
What happened in Senate?
The bill was moved by Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. As the bill was introduced, journalists present in the Senate’s press gallery staged a walkout in protest, condemning the lack of consultation with media stakeholders and expressing concerns over potential threats to press freedom.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, strongly criticized the bill during the session, arguing that its intent was not to safeguard public interests but to target a specific political party.
“Laws are meant to protect people, not to oppress them,” Faraz stated. “When new legislation is introduced, its intent must be carefully scrutinized. This bill appears to be designed to target a particular political party rather than serving the broader public interest.”
He condemned the rushed manner in which the National Assembly had approved the amendments the previous week, which sparked similar protests and a journalist walkout.
During the Senate’s clause-by-clause approval process, motions for additional amendments by Senator Kamran Murtaza and Senator Ali Zafar were dismissed. Senator Murtaza argued that the standing committee had not adequately reviewed his proposed amendments.
However, Deputy Speaker Syeedal Khan clarified that the committee had already rejected them, as noted in its report. The PECA Amendment Bill 2025 was subsequently passed by a majority vote.
Here is the link to the petition: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-recent-amendments-to-the-peca-law-in-pakistan