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”.

The recently passed amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) are necessary to tackle disinformation or “fake news”, claimed Attaullah Tarar, the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Tarar argued that the amendments were essential as “people share content without verifying its authenticity. This reckless behavior has escalated to the point where people don’t hesitate to label others as infidels.”

Tarar also said that he invited critics of the PECA Amendments to engage with him and with PECA Joint Action Committee on PECA, claiming that if any sections are deemed inconsistent with fundamental rights, we are open to suggestions”.