UPDATE: President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law on Wednesday both the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024.
The Senate has approved controversial amendments to the country’s cybercrime law, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, commonly known as PECA.
The Senate greenlit on Wednesday the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025, along with the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024. The approval of both the contentious tweaks to PECA and the new piece of legislation attracted a strong disapproval from the opposition parties.
In response to Senate’s approval of changes to PECA, journalists walked out from the press gallery to register their protest. Under the changes, through Section 26(A) concerning “fake news”, the perpetrator may face up to three years in jail, a fine amounting to up to Rs2 million, or both. If signed by the president, the contentious bill will become law.
The developments led to protests from journalists and rights activists both online and offline across the country. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and regional unions have called the PECA amendment bill a “black law”. They have demanded reversal of the amendments made to the cybercrime law.
Demonstrations were also organised against the law in Islamabad, where journalists marched from the National Press Club to D-Chowk. The protests were held by the PFUJ and Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ). Media professionals staged protests outside the Karachi Press Club as well.
The PECA amendment bill has been accused of stifling free speech and being weaponised as an instrument to target journalists and dissenting voices.
