Pak: Journalist Union challenges controversial Peca law in IHC, calls it attack on media freedom

Islamabad [Pakistan] February 6 (ANI): Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) filed a lawsuit in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday against the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Peca law).
PFUJ President Afzal Butt, who described the act as an assault on media freedom, brought the complaint via Advocate Imran Shafique according to a report by Geo News.
"The Peca (Amendment) Act is unconstitutional and illegal, hence, the court should conduct a judicial review on it," the plea read as cited by Geo News.
The opposition parties, journalists, and media outlets criticized the lack of consultations and the terms of the Peca law, which was already problematic after the ruling coalition swiftly passed the controversial modifications from the National Assembly and the Senate.
In the petition, the journalists' organization said that the Peca (Amendment) 2025 expanded governmental control and curtailed free speech as reported by Geo News.
According to the report, the Peca law also violates Articles 19 and 19(A) of the Constitution. It argued that the statute ought to be suspended as a result.
"The Peca (Amendment) gave the government unlimited censorship powers. Criminalising fake news without due process is unconstitutional and a violation of the media freedom," it maintained as cited by Geo News.
According to the PFUJ, the law violated both Pakistani digital rights and international human rights.
Shafique claimed that because the government aimed to stifle free speech, the law limited the freedom of the media.
"There is no clear procedure to deal with fake information. The police can arrest anyone at any time under a cognisable offence," he said, adding that it would take him three to four years in courts for his defence if implicated in an offence as reported by Geo News.
New definitions, the creation of regulatory and investigative agencies, and harsher punishments for spreading "false" information are all included in the law, which has already gone into effect after President Asif Ali Zardari's approval.
In addition to a fine of up to Rs2 million, the new changes reduced the penalty for disseminating "fake information" online to three years.
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA), and the Social Media Protection Tribunal were also suggested to be established by the new revisions.
Additionally, it said that anyone "aggrieved by fake and false information" might contact the authority to have the information removed or their access blocked, and the authority would grant their request within 24 hours as reported by Geo News.
According to the new amendments, the authority may also mandate that any social media platform sign up for its services in any way and on the payment of any applicable fees. (ANI)