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May 8, 2025 - Comments Off on Senior NADRA Official Arrested for Alleged Anti-Army Remarks in WhatsApp Group Under PECA

Senior NADRA Official Arrested for Alleged Anti-Army Remarks in WhatsApp Group Under PECA

A senior National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) official in Lahore was arrested by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for allegedly sharing derogatory remarks about the Pakistan Army in a NADRA employees’ WhatsApp group. According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed that day, the accused (identified as Hina Rehman Sheikh, a senior executive at NADRA Lahore) had posted content deemed a “mischievous act of subversion” against the Army and the state. The FIR cites offences under Sections 20, 24, 24(A) and 26A of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 in this case. Journalist Zahid Gishkori also confirmed the arrest on social media, reporting that a senior NADRA officer was detained for sharing an anti-Army remark via WhatsApp.

Copy of FIRs:

May 2, 2025 - Comments Off on Journalists face growing threats to free expression in 2025: PPF report

Journalists face growing threats to free expression in 2025: PPF report

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day 2025, the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) released a report titled Intimidation on All Fronts: Press Freedom and Media Safety in Pakistan, outlining an increasingly hostile environment for media professionals in the country.

The report highlights that the year began with the passage of the controversial Pakistan Electronic Crimes Amendment Act, 2025, sparking concerns over intensified legal repercussions for online reporting. Alongside this, state-led financial pressure tactics such as withdrawal of advertising from critical outlets–most notably Dawn and Daily Sahafat–were documented.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reportedly continued to target journalists with impunity, contributing to a "dangerous pattern" of intimidation. PPF recorded at least 34 incidents this year, including arrests, detentions, physical assaults, abductions, defamation notices, and online harassment. Threats extended beyond individuals to their families and property, reinforcing the use of coercive tools to silence dissent.

The report paints a grim picture of shrinking space for free expression in Pakistan, calling attention to the urgent need for stronger protections for media workers.

April 21, 2025 - Comments Off on TikToker Kashif Zameer arrested by Punjab Police for ‘disrespecting police uniform’

TikToker Kashif Zameer arrested by Punjab Police for ‘disrespecting police uniform’

On Friday, TikToker Kashif Zameer was arrested by the Punjab police on charges of disrespecting the police uniform on social media. 

An FIR registered on Thursday by the Punjab police on driver constable Khurram Shahzad under Section 115 of the Police Order 2022 (police officer at any time liable to be called for dutied) stated that in a video posted on TikTok, Zameer was shown at a wedding holding a tray of money in front of Shahzad. 

In an attempt to curb charges, Zameer tried to pass an AI-edited video, where the constable’s uniform was replaced by a plain black shalwar kameez, as the original video However, during an earlier inquiry, the constable confirmed that the video where he was wearing the uniform was real. 

The police’s report stated that by using AI to show a false narrative, Zameer and Shahzad were disrespectful of the police, invoking sections 13 (electronic forgery), and 26 (spoofing) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (PECA).

In a separate video posted by Zameer on his Instagram, he claimed that the man in the video was not a police officer but his personal guard and that the video from the wedding event was altered by his “enemies” through AI to purposefully convict him. Zameer claimed that this was being done because of his vocal support for YouTuber Rajab Butt.

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.