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February 16, 2025 - Comments Off on PECA Amendments threaten press freedom: Int’l Federation of Journalists head

PECA Amendments threaten press freedom: Int’l Federation of Journalists head

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called upon the Pakistani government to repeal the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). Meeting with members of Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists during their Federal Executive Council elections, IJF President Dominique Pradalié led a protest march against recently passed PECA Amendments, alongside PFUJ members its President and Secretary General. The PFUJ leadership also said that more protests wound be held by next week if the government, according to IFJ, “failed to commit to a platform benefiting journalists and media workers in Pakistan.”.

In a statement the IFJ said that:

“Journalists and media workers in Pakistan must enjoy their constitutional rights to free expression and press freedom. The IFJ continues to stand in solidarity with Pakistan’s media community in the wake of draconian amendments to the PECA, and urge authorities to repeal the legislation.

February 15, 2025 - Comments Off on Government blocks resolution against PECA Amendments

Government blocks resolution against PECA Amendments

The government of Pakistan blocked a resolution against the Prevention of Electronic Act (PECA) Amendments 2025, via calling attention to quorum at the last moment. The resolution was tabled by Senator Aon Abbas Buppi (PTI), who called on the government to review the law again and to remove provisions contradictory to human rights. The Law Minister brought to the Senate Chair’s attention that there was a lack of quorum in the House, confirmed by Acting Chairperson Senator Sherry Rehman’s ordering a headcount. The resolution stated:

“The House calls upon the government to immediately amend Peca 2025 to align it with constitutional rights and international standards, ensuring a balanced approach between digital governance and press freedom in Pakistan”.

Members of the opposition then met with Parliamentary Reporter Association representatives present in the Parliamentary Media Press Gallery and expressed solidarity. At this time, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) staged rallies across the country against the PECA Amendments.

February 14, 2025 - Comments Off on New submarine internet cables to expand Pakistan internet capabilities: Government

New submarine internet cables to expand Pakistan internet capabilities: Government

The expected deployment of new submarine cables – including Africa 1 and SMW6 (Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6) is expected to expand and stabilise Pakistan’s internet capabilities, according to Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) sources. The new cables are to improve data and internet network resilience, sorely needed in a nation that has seen severely and near regular disruptions to internet use, whether caused by technical or maintenance factors.

February 12, 2025 - Comments Off on Biometric Verification to Include Facial Recognition, Iris Scanning: PTA

Biometric Verification to Include Facial Recognition, Iris Scanning: PTA

Biometric verification in Pakistan will be expanded to include facial recognition and iris scanning technology, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, as part of the National Registration & Biometric Policy Framework (NRBPF). The Framework initiative also includes Pakistan’s Ministry of IT and Telecoms (MoITT), cellular mobile operators, and the National Database and Registration Authory (NADRA), the latter being responsible for the collection and storage and management of biometric data.

February 12, 2025 - Comments Off on AI tool to track media gender bias launched

AI tool to track media gender bias launched

The media monitoring and advocacy Uks Research Centre (UKC) launched what it calls an AI tool that will identify gender bias in media content, “whether it’s hiding in plain sight or lurking between the lines”. As reported by Dawn, the AI tool scans texts for “glaring and subtle biases”, and developed along the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) framework, deconstructing content through four key perspectives:

“clear stereotypes such as portraying women solely as caregivers, subtle biases such as consistently showing men as experts, neutral portrayals and content that actively challenged gender stereotypes.”

UKC developed the tool to offer “immediate, actionable feedback”, and targeted journalists, editors and reporters in particular.

February 11, 2025 - Comments Off on Government, Law Enforcement Crack Down on Illegal SIM Markets

Government, Law Enforcement Crack Down on Illegal SIM Markets

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) launched what is being called a nationwide crackdown on the illegal sales of “pre-activated” foreign SIMs in markets in major cities across the country.

The authorities said that these SIMs were being used for fraud, “unverified communications” and other criminal activities, and that their sale posed a threat to public or national security, particularly in regards to their lack of traceability.

February 11, 2025 - Comments Off on PECA Amendment Act riddled with errors, say lawyers

PECA Amendment Act riddled with errors, say lawyers

The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act or PECA Amendments 2025, rushed into law earlier this year, is replete with errors that include incorrect section numbering and contradictory definitions, the Islamabad High Court was told, during a hearing filed by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and other media professionals.

Imran Shafique, a lawyer working on behalf of the petition filers, argued that the speed at which the PECA Amendments had been passed meant that not only were sections numbered incorrectly, but that errors such as, for example “complainant” being defined more than once twice, resulted in the Act “contradicting itself”, according to The News International. Mr. Shafique also said that the “complaint authority” which was established through PECA was already in existence under the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Riyasat Ali Azad also argued that the PECA Amendment Act was in violation of Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

February 11, 2025 - Comments Off on Govt’s Ignite National Tech Fund website hacked, quickly restored.

Govt’s Ignite National Tech Fund website hacked, quickly restored.

The website of the Ignite National Tech Fund, a government-backed startup incubator, was hacked on Monday evening, raising serious concerns about the government and the security of its websites and other platforms. The hacking of the website resulted in the website being inaccessible – or accessible with great difficulty – for several hours, with animated cartoons being used to break into the website. Ignite officials claimed that not only had the website been restored, however, but that security measures had been fortified in response.

What Ignite and other government officials were not able to publicly discuss, however, were the identity of the parties responsible for the hack, or what weaknesses in the system had been exploited. Whether this was due to an in-depth investigation yet to be undertaken, or other reasons pertaining to security, has yet to be seen.

February 11, 2025 - Comments Off on Can Pakistan’s digital Economy Hit US$75 Billion?

Can Pakistan’s digital Economy Hit US$75 Billion?

Pakistan’s digital economy could reach a value of US$75 billion, according to the head of Jazz, one of Pakistan’s major telecoms providers. Amer Ibrahim, Jazz’s Chief Executive Officer made the statement in a presentation at the World Economic Forus 2025, held in Davos, Switzerland. This assertion was based on investments in “broadband infrastructure, fintech innovations, and artificial intelligence”, according to Samaa TV. He also emphasized the role of digital financial inclusion in Pakistan’s economic roadmap, particularly in regards to how “digital infrastructure improvements could enhance access to financial services and promote economic participation across various segments of society.”

February 10, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistan committed to digital transparency, accountability and Ethical AI: IT Minister

Pakistan committed to digital transparency, accountability and Ethical AI: IT Minister

Pakistan’s IT Minister discussed the importance of closing the “digital divide” by promoting and engaging in “inclusive policies and capacity-building initiatives”, as well as the importance of “data privacy, security, and fairness in artificial intelligence (AI) systems”, in a report by Dawn.

Speaking at the Leap 2025 technology conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Minister for Information Technology and Telecom, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, discussed what she saw as the “transformative impact of AI”, and pushed for “strong regulatory frameworks to ensure AI benefits all segments of society”. The Minister also called for that a global framework that ensured that any wide-scale rolling out of AI was done so with ethical standards to be incorporated and enforced – something that she said was a goal behind Pakistan’s own ongoing development of an AI policy.

The need to ensure that any usage of AI had a low carbon footprint was also raised - a matter of controversy, as one criticism among many regarding AI has been the drastic consumption of water and other energy resources by companies such as OpenAI in regards to AI.