By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday approved a contentious cybercrime bill that has sparked widespread outrage among journalists and opposition parties, who fear the legislation will be used to stifle free speech and target government critics.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025, adds Section 26(A) to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, penalising perpetrators of “fake news” online.
“Whoever intentionally disseminates, publicly exhibits, or transmits any information through any information system, 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,” may face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs2 million, or both, according to the bill.
Industries Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, who presented the bill on behalf of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, insisted that the legislation was not aimed at journalists but rather at combating cybercrimes on social media.
“This law will not deal with TV newspapers but social media,” Hussain said, adding that the amendment could also “be improved”. “Journalists have nothing to do with this bill,” Hussain insisted.
However, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of former prime minister Imran Khan has accused the Pakistan Peoples Party, an ally of the ruling coalition, of hypocrisy, slamming its support for the bill.
PTI’s Shibli Faraz, the leader of the opposition in the Senate, said laws were made to protect people, however, the Peca amendment aimed 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.”
Faraz appeared to be referring to the manner in which the national assembly rushed the contentious amendments to Peca last week, drawing opposition protests and triggering a walkout by journalists.
PPP members had voiced their support during the voting.
Amnesty International has warned that the changes to the “draconian” Peca would “further tighten the government’s grip over Pakistan’s heavily controlled digital landscape”.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also expressed deep concern, saying it was “likely to become yet another means of targeting political workers, human rights defenders, journalists and dissidents”.
Pakistan adopted the much-criticised Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) in 2016, granting sweeping powers to regulators to block private information they deemed illegal.
The law provided for up to seven years in prison for “recruiting, funding and planning of terrorism” online.
It also allowed “authorised officers” to require anyone to unlock any computer, mobile phone or other device during an investigation.
The government said at the time restrictions under the new law were needed to ensure security against growing threats such as terrorism and to crackdown on unauthorised access, electronic fraud and online harassment.
However, journalists and rights activists complain that the law has been largely used to go after journalists, bloggers and other people critical of the government and state institutions.
The bill now awaits the president’s assent to become law.
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