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April 12, 2025 - Comments Off on Journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi Booked Under PECA for ‘False and Provocative’ Video

Journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi Booked Under PECA for ‘False and Provocative’ Video

Journalist Junaid Sagar Qureshi was booked on Saturday under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 over a video statement that police termed “provocative and false,” according to a police spokesperson.

The FIR, filed by ASI Tariq Mumtaz, states that the complainant saw the video on WhatsApp, in which Qureshi alleged that a dumper ran over a woman in the jurisdiction of the Sir Syed Police Station, triggering public outrage and a violent response involving stone-pelting that injured police officials, including a station house officer.

Upon investigation, authorities stated that no such incident had occurred, and both the claim of the woman being run over and the attack on police were found to be false. As a result, an FIR was registered against Qureshi under Section 21 of PECA, which pertains to spreading false and malicious information.

Since its introduction in 2016, PECA has drawn widespread criticism from rights groups, journalists, and civil society, who have described it as a “black law” used to suppress dissent and curtail press freedom. Over the years, it has been repeatedly invoked against journalists, political workers, and digital rights activists.

Qureshi is the latest in a string of journalists to be booked under PECA in recent weeks. On March 20, Farhan Mallick, founder of Raftar and former Samaa TV news director, was arrested for allegedly running “anti-state” content on YouTube. He was charged under both PECA and the Pakistan Penal Code.

Shortly after, Waheed Murad, a journalist with Urdu News, was also arrested under Sections 9, 10, 20, and 26A of PECA for allegedly glorifying an offence and spreading fake information online.

Earlier this month, a police officer in Karachi was similarly booked under PECA for making derogatory remarks against President Asif Ali Zardari.

These recent cases reflect a worrying trend of increased use of PECA against journalists and dissenting voices, prompting fresh calls for reforms to ensure the protection of press freedom and digital rights in Pakistan.

April 5, 2025 - Comments Off on New director generals for FIA and cybercrime agency announced

New director generals for FIA and cybercrime agency announced

The federal government has announced the appointments of new chiefs for two major law enforcement agencies. Riffat Mukhtar, a grade-21 officer and current Inspector General of the National Highways and Motorway Police, has been appointed as Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Known for his extensive experience, Mukhtar has previously held top roles including IG Sindh and additional secretary in the Interior Ministry. His appointment under the FIA Act, 1974 is expected to strengthen the agency’s response to crimes like terrorism, corruption, and human trafficking.

 

Waqaruddin Syed, a grade-20 officer currently serving within the FIA, has been appointed as the first Director General of the newly established National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). His appointment, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (amended 2025), signals the government’s intent to bolster Pakistan’s cybercrime infrastructure. The NCCIA operates under the Interior Division and will focus on tackling the country’s growing digital threats. Both appointments are effective immediately.

March 20, 2025 - Comments Off on Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Pakistani TikToker, political activist arrested for “misinformation” on social media

Police in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have made what is being reported as the first arrest since the expansion of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). A Tiktoker and political activist for the PTI party allegedly published numerous posts that allegedly shared “misinformation and negative propaganda” against senior members of the armed forces and the Chief Minister of the Punjab. As reported by TechJuice, the case was filed “under Section 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 20 of the PECA Act 2016”, “officials argue that such activity could erode public trust and fuel unrest.”

March 3, 2025 - Comments Off on Police book citizen under PECA for criticising Muslim clerics

Police book citizen under PECA for criticising Muslim clerics

Pakistani police filed a report under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against a man accused of criticising muslim clerics regarding the start of the religious month of Ramadan/Ramzan. According to Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Quraishi, the imam who brought the situation to the attention of the police, he man, from the region of Mamashkhel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had allegedly been derogatory on social media, and was also heard to have said that “the moon is of two days and the ulema of Bannu and Pakistan have deprived us (faithful) of the first fast”.

February 25, 2025 - Comments Off on Supreme Court Bar Association, Journalists Call for Repeal of PECA Amendments

Supreme Court Bar Association, Journalists Call for Repeal of PECA Amendments

Senior journalists and members of Pakistan’s legal bar called for the repeal of recent amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), passing unanimous resolutions at the February 24th 2025 consultative meeting of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in Islamabad, the nation’s capital. The resolutions, which condemned the passage of  “PECA Amendments 2025” and defended the right to freedom expression were as follows (as per reporting by Express Tribune):

"This consultative meeting condemns and disapproves the PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025, being defective legislation, considering it a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.

"This consultative meeting holds that the PECA (Amendment) Act, 2025, infringes upon the rights of media personnel as protected under Article 19 of the ICCPR, adopted by the United Nations and to which Pakistan is signatory". 

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 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 4, 2025 - Comments Off on PECA Amendments Challenged, Petition Filed With Supreme Court

PECA Amendments Challenged, Petition Filed With Supreme Court

A petition against the recently passed Amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (PECA) has been filed with Pakistan’s Supreme High Court (SC), arguing that the amendments violate human rights and are not consistent with the Constitution of Pakistan. Filed by a citizen, Muhammad Qayyum Khan, the petition asserts that rights to free expression have been undermined by the PECA and its amendments, and that they must come under review by the Supreme Court. The President of Pakistan, Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Senate, and Secretary of Law have been included as respondents to the case by the petitioner.

The petition also states that:

"In the national interest of peace and stability, it is humbly requested that a full court bench review the amendment and the existing law in light of our fundamental right to express opinions and share information in society”.

 

February 4, 2025 - Comments Off on Asia Internet Coalition trade body expresses concern over PECA Amendments

Asia Internet Coalition trade body expresses concern over PECA Amendments

The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) has expressed deep  “concerns” over the recently passed “Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025”. A tech industry body made up of companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Cloudfare among others, the AIC claimed that the amendments “would have a significant impact on people’s digital rights and freedoms, as well as far-reaching implications for Pakistan’s digital economy”, and called upon the Government of Pakistan to:

“...pause the legislative process and initiate a genuine, transparent, inclusive, and comprehensive public consultation process with stakeholders, including industry, civil society, and the public, to ensure the amendments are in line with established human rights norms on privacy and freedom of expression and does not stifle economic growth and innovation.”

The statement by the AIC can be found here, in PDF format: https://aicasia.org/download/1187/