Pakistan journalists rally against PECA amendments, decry 'Civilian Martial Law'

Islamabad [Pakistan] January 29 (ANI): The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024, which seek to establish a digital economy, society, and governance, were adopted by the upper house on Tuesday despite protests from the opposition benches according to a report by Geo News.
The Senate also approved the revisions on Wednesday after it was already passed in the National Assembly. The changes are intended to tighten the noose around people who spread false information and fake news on social media, the government said according to Geo News.
The journalism community staged nationwide demonstrations against the "controversial" Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) (Amendment) Bill 2025 on Tuesday.
After labelling the PECA law "controversial" due to "lack of clarity" in several legal elements, including the term "fake news," the journalist organisation joined forces in nationwide protests against controversial changes to the law, Geo News reported. Media professionals worry that the altered law may affect press freedom and be used to target them as well.
The media community was also incensed at the current administration for enacting the modifications without seeking their input or taking them seriously.
Geo News reported that many journalists, attorneys, and members of civil society took part in the agitation organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) outside the National Press Club in Islamabad yesterday, as protests spread throughout the nation's major towns.
While chanting anti-PECA Act slogans at the rally, the journalists were observed protesting by wearing chains as per a report by Geo News.
Once the protesters arrived near D-Chowk, the rally took the form of a sit-in. Speaking to the participants, the president of PFUJ made it clear that while they did not oppose rules, no one would be permitted to undermine the nation's freedom of expression. Geo News reported that barbed wire was put up and large police contingents were sent to D-Chowk in an attempt to halt the demonstrators' movement.
Journalists attempted to break through police-erected obstacles to continue their march but were injured when they attempted to remove the barbed wire.
The PFUJ leader was also prevented from leading the march to the Red Zone, where he was tried to be detained by some police officers.
Senior journalist Mazhar Abbas, addressing the protest rally, said, "This is the beginning of a historical struggle against a civilian martial law as the first attack was carried out on the judiciary and the second on media."
Expressing outrage over the PECA tweaks, he claimed that digital media has been targeted since 2016 and slammed the rulers, saying: "Fake news is not an issue but the actual issue is reporting news" as quoted by Geo News.
Abbas further said that some state elements wanted to keep journalism under their control and warned stakeholders not to compromise on the new tweaks, "otherwise, everyone would be controlled".
The senior journalist was of the view that if the government was serious about devising new regulations, then it would have to be passed by consensus [of all stakeholders] as cited by Geo News. (ANI)