Malik Waqar
During the hearing of a petition on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act (Peca), 2025, in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), a lawyer warned that if the law is enforced, journalists and the media will be left reporting only on the weather.
The IHC heard a petition on Tuesday challenging the law, which journalists argue violates constitutional rights and restricts press freedom.
During the proceedings, lawyer Imran Shafique and Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Riyasat Ali Azad pointed out serious legal inconsistencies in the law. Shafique argued that Peca was passed in haste, with errors in legal drafting, including duplicated and contradictory sections.
Azad contended that the law violated Articles 19 and 19A of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of speech and access to information.
“If Peca is enforced, journalists will have nothing left to report except the weather,” he remarked.
Court questions fake news regulation
Presiding over the hearing, Justice Inaam Amin Minhas asked whether stopping fake news should be a priority. “Fake news is indeed a problem,” he noted.
PFUJ President Afzal Butt countered that while journalists oppose misinformation, media regulation must not infringe on fundamental rights.
“We support responsible journalism, but censorship disguised as regulation is unacceptable,” he said.
The petitioners urged the court to suspend the law, prompting the IHC to issue a notice to the attorney general.
The court said a new hearing date would be set by the Registrar’s Office.
PFUJ challenges cybercrime law
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) filed a petition last week, calling Peca an attack on press freedom.
It argued that the amendments expand government control over speech and criminalise fake news without due process.
The petition also claimed that Peca violates international human rights and digital freedoms, urging the court to strike it down.
What does Peca do?
The amended Peca law lowers the maximum prison sentence for spreading false information to three years and imposes fines of up to Rs2 million.
It also introduces new regulatory bodies, including the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), and Social Media Protection Tribunals.
The law allows individuals to request the removal of “fake” content within 24 hours and mandates social media platforms to register with authorities. Cases filed under Peca must be resolved within 90 days, with appeals allowed to the Supreme Court within 60 days.
The amendments were passed quickly by the government, drawing criticism from opposition parties, journalists, and media watchdogs over a lack of consultation and potential threats to press freedom.
