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March 19, 2025 - Comments Off on Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Over 34 social media users charged with spreading “fake news” about bomb blasts

Police in Dadu, in the province of Sindh, have filed formal First Information Reports (FIRs) against over 34 Pakistani social media users for “spreading false information with the wrong use of social media” as per a statement by the Dadu police force. According to the police, the suspects were accused of sharing false rumours and news pertaining to bomb blasts. The FIRs were registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), which lists sharing fake news as being a criminal action as per Section 20. The Dadu Superintendent of Police (SSP) said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had been written to as well, to request further action.

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 29, 2025 - Comments Off on Journalist files case against PECA Amendments in Lahore High Court

Journalist files case against PECA Amendments in Lahore High Court

The formal passage into law of amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) has been challenged in the Lahore High Court by a Pakistani journalist, arguing that the amendments are a threat to the “constitutional right to free speech”.

The legal challenge filed by Jafar Bin Yar – and which includes the government, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other parties as respondents – asserted that the PECA Amendments Bill 2025 had been introduced  in and passed by the National Assembly without key stakeholders, such as civil society organisations and journalists, being consulted.

Mr. Bin Yar’s legal petition requested the nullification of the newly passed PECA Amendment Act, and that any actions taken post-passage be suspended until a final decision in his petition has been issued.

January 28, 2025 - Comments Off on Senate passes PECA Amendments and Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025

Senate passes PECA Amendments and Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025

Pakistan’s Senate approved the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (2025) amendments and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill on Tuesday, 28 January. The PECA amendments had earlier been approved by the National Assembly and Senate Committee on Interior. Similarly, the Senate Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication had passed the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2025 by majority vote.

The PECA amendments establish harsher penalties for disinformation, including up to three years imprisonment and Rs2 million fines. It also establishes the Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA) to regulate social media, investigate complaints, and remove unlawful content. The amendments also broaden the definition of social media platforms.

Journalists, accompanied by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman staged a walkout of the Senate gallery amid the passage of the amendments, and opposition members tore copies of the Bill in protest. PTI Senator Shibli Faraz criticised the lack of judicial capacity to handle fake news cases.

Separately, Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar tabled the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill (DNPB) 2025 after it was earlier approved by the Senate Committee on IT on 28 January. Just like PECA, DNPB was also quickly approved by majority vote amid objections. Members of the opposition raised concerns over lack of consultation leading up to the Senate meeting. JUIF Senator Kamran Murtaza accused the government of undermining provincial autonomy and centralising authority in Islamabad.

Both pieces of legislation now only require the President’s assent to be enacted as laws.

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.”

January 22, 2025 - Comments Off on PML-N, PPP Agree On PECA Amendments

PML-N, PPP Agree On PECA Amendments

Two of Pakistan’s ruling parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have come together on amending the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), despite disagreements especially with regards to social media control – a controversial point of contention and penalties. As per proposed legislation under this agreement, social media usage will be regulated via a new government authority to be established.

 

The new authority will have the responsibility of determining what constitutes disinformation or “fake news”, and will have the power to impose penalties for disseminating disinformation – a maximum of three years in prison, and fines. The length of the sentence was one of the key points that the PPP and PML-N strongly disagreed upon, as the latter had originally proposed sentence of ten years. The new authority will have powers similar to, according to ARY News, “the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).”

December 15, 2024 - Comments Off on Govt expected to push amendments to expand PECA powers this week

Govt expected to push amendments to expand PECA powers this week

The Pakistan government is pushing to have amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) tabled “as early as” this week (December 16-20), that would create a new authority body with controversially broad powers to block access to social media and to specific online content. As reported upon earlier in December, the amendments are part of the government’s strategy to tackle what it regards as “fake news”.

The proposed PECA amendments include the creation of a Pakistan Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), which would, according to Human Rights Watch, “be authorised to prosecute people for sharing or accessing prohibited content, and take action against social media platforms that host such content.”

In addition to the creation of DRPA – to replace the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) concerning the monitoring of social media content - the amendments also introduce language to expand upon and redefine terms. For instance, the term “Social media platform”now includes the use of any software or tools that would be used to access social media platforms. The redefining of “Social media” points to the government potentially giving itself legal power to block tools such VPNs, after the PTA ban on VPNs was blocked by an opinion from the Ministry of Law.

December 14, 2024 - Comments Off on Journalists, vloggers among 150 booked under PECA for “maligning security agencies”

Journalists, vloggers among 150 booked under PECA for “maligning security agencies”

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered cases against 150 individuals, including journalists and vloggers, “for their involvement in maligning security agencies over the Nov 26 incident”, referring to the controversy surrounding the number of deaths at a protest march by PTI supporters in late November 2024. According to the FIA, Harmeet Singh, a Pakistani Sikh journalist, had ostensibly promoted a “false narrative” concerning the four day-long protest, and claimed that he had incited violence against the state. He and others were being booked under Sections 9 (“Glorification of an Offence”), 10 (“Cyber Terrorism”), 11 (“Hate Speech”) and 24 (“Cyber Stalking”) of the PECA.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemned the 150 arrests, calling them “a blatant attack on press freedom and freedom of expression in Pakistan and depicts the authoritarian mindset of the so-called elected government.” The PFUJ stressed that it does not condone “fake news”, but that “due process” was vital when registering cases against journalists.

December 13, 2024 - Comments Off on Senate passes Digital Forensics Agency Bill

Senate passes Digital Forensics Agency Bill

Pakistan’s Senate (upper house) unanimously approved the passage of the “National Forensic Agency Bill, 2024” paving the way for the creation of an independent forensic agency (NFA) at the national level. The NFA will upgrade existing capabilities of conventional forensics labs across Pakistan. Furthermore, NFA will set up a digital forensics lab to provide services to governments across Pakistan. Furthermore, NFA will integrate “digital and cyber forensics to combat crimes involving electronic devices, deepfakes, and other electronic offences.” The Bill must now be approved by the National Assembly (lower house) before it can become an Act. Proposed by the government earlier this month, the soon to be established National Forensics Agency (NFA) comes as part of a muscular legislative and political push over the course of this  year by the Pakistan government, in what it has framed as its war on “fake news”, or disinformation and misinformation.

December 6, 2024 - Comments Off on Pakistan Army Chief calls for action against fake news, echoed by Minister for IT

Pakistan Army Chief calls for action against fake news, echoed by Minister for IT

Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army’s most senior ranking officer called on the government to take action against “pre-planned coordinated and premeditated propaganda” that are allegedly being spread “by certain political elements as an attempt to drive a wedge between the public & Armed Forces and institutions of Pakistan.” Speaking to senior officers of the armed forces at the 84th Formation Commanders' Conference, General Munir called for stringent laws to combat “fake news”, and the “unethical use of freedom of expression to spread polarization.”

 

A day later, the Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, briefed the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication and stated that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) would be amended to tackle “fake news”, echoing the concerns of General Munir and others. In response to a question raised by members of the committee pertaining to the proposed amendments,   she underscored that these  amendments were aimed at addressing “concerns related to fake news and online misinformation campaigns” and not intended to “restrict the internet” and the freedom of expression of citizens. The minister was also asked about the legal powers of the PTA or the government in regards to VPN shutdowns. The Minister downplayed concerns of the committee members on internet shutdowns, claiming that the issue had been “blown too much, but the government does not intend to take such extreme measures”.