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January 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Journalists stage country-wide protests against PECA Amendments

Journalists stage country-wide protests against PECA Amendments

Journalist bodies strongly protested against the PECA amendments across the major cities on Tuesday 28 January.

During the passage of the bill in the Senate, journalists walked out of the Senate press gallery in protest. Later, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) organised a protest march from the Islamabad National Press Club to D-Chowk, where, addressing the crowd, PFUJ President Afzal Butt called the bill a ‘black law’.

In Karachi, responding to an appeal by PFUJ, the Joint Action Committee of Media Bodies (JAC) staged a protest outside Karachi Press Club. Mazhar Abbas, a senior member of PFUJ commented “The government has to learn the lessons as it was earlier used against the same party, which had passed the law in a haste.” Members of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ), Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) were also in attendance.

January 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Senate approves PECA Amendments amidst opposition uproar

Senate approves PECA Amendments amidst opposition uproar

Pakistan’s Senate formally approved the controversial amendments pertaining to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (2025) on 28 January. The recent development took place a day after the Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025 on Monday, 27 January amidst public outcry over the changes made without stakeholder input. The bill will now be sent to the President for formal approval before it becomes an act, a merely ceremonial process. The proposed PECA amendments include three years imprisonment for spreading fake news, creation of a social media protection authority for regulating online content, as well as the creation of a new investigation agency called the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency.  The highly debated and criticised amendments to PECA were fast-tracked through the National Assembly last week.

Throughout recent weeks, and especially in the last week, journalists, human rights defenders, civil society, and the opposition protested these controversial amendments proposed to the country’s cyber crime laws, which threaten to curtail freedom of expression and promote mass censorship and surveillance by the State. Last week’s protests culminated in members of the opposition raising slogans and banging desks, and journalists staging an organised walk-out from the press gallery during the Friday Senate hearing. The Senate committee (Interior) meeting held on Monday also featured opposition from journalists present, whereas the Chair of Senate Committee on Interior Faisal Saleem Rehman in his opening remarks claimed that the Senate committee had not received any written feedback, concerns or comments from any journalist body. The sole opposition to the amendments from political parties in this meeting came from the JUIF’s Senator Kamran Murtaza. Senator Irfan Siddiqui of PML-N downplayed concerns about the amendments, stating there was “no need to fear” the changes. While criticising the lack of consultation with journalists before the bill, he assured that if the law is misused against the media, he would stand with journalists.

January 27, 2025 - Comments Off on Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication approves Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025

Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication approves Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025

The Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication approved the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025 with a majority vote on Monday, 27 January. The Committee meeting was chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.

The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, which was introduced in the Senate by IT Minister Shaza Khawaja, is one in a series of measures being undertaken by the MOITT to transform Pakistan into “a holistic digital ecosystem”. The Bill calls for the establishment of three bodies: the National Digital Commission (NDC), to be headed by the Prime Minister, to oversee the development and implementation of the National Digital Master Plan; the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) to carry out the implementation; and the Strategic Oversight Committee (SOC), to be headed by the IT Minister, to act as an ‘impartial’ oversight body.

The Bill was opposed in the Senate hearing by senators from JUI and PTI, including JUI Senator Kamran Murtaza, who proposed amendments to Section 7 of the Bill while questioning the urgency with which the Bill had progressed through the Houses. He recommended that the PDA contain four members instead of two; one from each province. Senator Manzoor Kakar stressed the need for fair provincial funding under the proposed law. Senator Palwasha Khan raised concerns over the lack of data protection legislation in Pakistan, and the deprioritisation of that over this Bill.

Despite the debate and concerns raised, the Bill was approved with a majority vote. Senator Murtaza’s proposed amendments did not gain approval.

January 24, 2025 - Comments Off on WhatsApp group admin arrested in Pakpattan

WhatsApp group admin arrested in Pakpattan

A WhatsApp group administrator from Pakpattan was arrested under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act 2016 (PECA) for allegedly permitting a post insulting the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz.

The suspect who allegedly made the post and the group admin were booked under Section 20 (Offences against the dignity of a natural person) of PECA and Section 509 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to a statement issued by the Pakpattan District Police Officer Javed Chaddar, authorities took notice of the post after it went viral on social media. The post was described by the DPO as “malicious and insulting against the Chief Minister”.

This arrest comes on the heels of the passage of the controversial amendments to the PECA by the National Assembly on the same day as the arrest. The new provision, Section 26(A), under which the suspect and group admin were booked, penalises online perpetrators of “fake news”. The provision reads:

“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, that he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend upto three years or with fine which may extend to Rs2m or with both.”

December 19, 2024 - Comments Off on Digital Nation Pakistan Bill deferred for further deliberation

Digital Nation Pakistan Bill deferred for further deliberation

Emphasising its importance, “The Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024” was postponed by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information Technology & Telecommunication on Monday for further deliberations. The committee discussed the Bill at length under the Chairmanship of Syed Amin-ul-Haq, MNA at the Ministry of IT&T. The Chairman stated that all committee members wanted sufficient time to discuss the Bill, and invited members to share their thoughts and concerns. Shaza Fatima Khawaja mentioned the importance of digitalisation for Pakistan, noting that technology does not wait for anyone. Some parliamentarians called for expert involvement and greater transparency with stakeholder consultations. It was highlighted by the State Minister for IT&T that National Digitalisation is a complicated and expensive project, involving international commitments, making it necessary for each step of the process to be followed through in a timely manner.