ISLAMABAD:
Media watchdog the Freedom Network on Friday termed the latest amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) “disproportionate, non-transparent and anti-free speech” and warned that they would lead to a serious risk of silencing dissenting voices and suppressing critical journalism.
In a statement, the watchdog said that the amendments to Peca Act, passed by the National Assembly on Thursday, were a new tool of self-censorship. It emphasised that the prison term and fine amount proposed in the amendment bill were disproportionate.
“The approach the government is taking is a wrong one. Prison terms, blocking social media sites and imposing fines will not help Pakistan. What can help us all is a collaborative and research-based approach to counter disinformation,” it said.
“The digital ecosystems are also under attack after the legacy media was run down. We share citizens’ concerns regarding disinformation and we are ready to help the government overcome the problem,” Freedom Network Executive Director Iqbal Khattak said in the Digital Rights Alert.
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