The Senate on Tuesday passed controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) Bill, 2025, amid a walkout by journalists from the press gallery and protests by the opposition.
The amendments adds Section 26(A) to Peca, which seeks to penalise perpetrators of “fake news” online. It says anyone who intentionally spreads, displays, or transmits false information likely to cause fear, panic, or unrest in society may face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs2 million, or both. The bill now awaits the president’s assent to become law.
The bill was moved by Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
As the bill was introduced, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, spoke out against it, highlighting that the laws were made to protect people, while the purpose of said bill was “to target a specific political party”.
“When a new law is introduced, its intent is scrutinised. Whether it’s social media or any other medium, it should operate within specific boundaries,” Faraz said. “The purpose of this bill is to target a specific political party.”
He added: “Laws are made to protect people, not to oppress them. It takes time to craft a law properly.”
Faraz appeared to be referring to the manner in which the National Assembly rushed the contentious amendments to Peca last week, which drew opposition protests and triggered a walkout by journalists. PPP members had voiced their support during the voting.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain replied to the senator after the bill was passed, saying that the bill was neither set in stone, nor was it aimed at journalists.
“This law will not deal with TV newspapers but social media,” he said, adding that it also “can be improved”.
“Journalists have nothing to do with this bill,” he added.
According to the report issued by the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, the bill “primarily seeks to modernise … the legislative framework for combating cybercrimes in Pakistan”, while the interior secretary emphasised that the bill was written in good faith and aimed to “protect the general public … and to make the in-field act more effective to protect people’s rights”.
After the committee’s approval, now only the senators have to vote for the bill to be sent to the president who would sign it into law.
In Section 26A of the amended law, the term has been explained as any information disseminated by a person that “he knows or has reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest in general public or society”.
Separately, the National Assembly had also passed the ‘Digital Nation Pakistan Bill, 2024’ which was moved by Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The bill aims to create a digital identity for citizens — to centralise social, economic and governance data — and to provide for the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, enabling a digital society, digital economy and digital governance.
The Senate session was adjourned indefinitely.
Journalists express concerns, assail government
A press release by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) announced a nationwide protest today at 3pm.
“We had appealed to the government of Pakistan and elected representatives to consult all stakeholders before passing the amendments from Senate of Pakistan… We reject these amendments, as they go against the spirit of the Constitution.
“Therefore, the PFUJ urges and appeals all union of journalists to organise strong protests at 3pm tomorrow at their respective press clubs, demonstrating unity and sending a strong message of rejection to the government and authorities behind these amendments,” the press release said.
While speaking about the bill to DawnNews TV, senior journalist Wusatullah Khan said that journalists should have taken notice of the bill earlier since it was being discussed for the past couple months, noting that “there were leaks about it as well.”
“The journalistic organisations or channels that are making noise now, there is a saying for this in English; “The punch that one remembers after the fight should be hit on one’s own face’.”
He added that despite the points of the bill being covered by the media, no one took notice of it yet created a ruckus when the NA passed the bill.
“Yesterday I heard PFUJ President Afzal Butt saying they were called for consultation; then why did they not tell journalists so they could organise themselves, or think about a protest?” he said.
“This is the same government that said when PECA one came in 2016 that it was for the benefit of the public.
“Now that it is too late they are creating a ruckus. What kind of resistance is this that couldn’t stop PECA in 2016 or any of the following amendments, whether during PTI’s tenure or this government?
“We just reminisce about the past but don’t change our attitude,” he concluded.
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