Pakistan’s cybercrime law amendments threaten free speech

By
Vivek Bhavsar
-
58
665

X: @vivekbhavsar

Mumbai: The Pakistan government’s latest amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) has triggered widespread concerns over free speech. While the amendments reduce the jail term for spreading “fake news” online from seven years to three, they also impose stricter penalties, including a fine of 2 million rupees. Additionally, four regulatory bodies will be established to oversee digital content, raising fears of increased political control over social media.

PECA, originally enacted in 2016, has long been criticized as a tool to suppress dissent. More than 200 journalists have been investigated under the law. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly opposed the latest changes, warning that they could be used to target journalists and activists.

Despite resistance from leading media organizations such as the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE), both houses of parliament approved the bill. President Asif Ali Zardari, representing the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) —a party known for advocating democracy and press freedom — signed it into law.

pakistani diary

Nationwide Protests and Opposition

Following the bill’s passage, journalists and media workers staged nationwide protests. PFUJ President Afzal Butt labelled the amendments a “black law” and vowed continued demonstrations. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) have also denounced the law, calling it regressive and a threat to democratic values.

Political opposition has emerged as well. PTI leader Asad Qaiser condemned the law as an effort to stifle independent media and vowed to challenge it. Other parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), have also expressed strong disapproval.

Growing Concerns over Free Speech

Pakistan has already faced criticism for internet restrictions and media censorship. The country ranks 152nd out of 180 in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) by Reporters Without Borders (RWB). Observers warn that the current government could eventually find itself targeted by the same laws it has enacted, as has happened in the past.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari’s suggestion that social media should be blocked if it cannot be controlled has further fuelled concerns. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had previously opposed similar laws under Imran Khan’s government, but has now remained silent, drawing accusations of hypocrisy. Many have pointed out how a PECA-related ordinance was struck down by the Islamabad High Court in 2022 for violating fundamental rights — yet now, a similar law has been enacted under Sharif’s leadership.

While some hope the judiciary will intervene again, others fear the government’s growing authoritarian tendencies may prevent any legal challenge. Journalists like Sibghat Ali from Abbottabad worry that state control over the press is tightening beyond reversal.

With these amendments, Pakistan’s global standing on press freedom is likely to deteriorate further. Many critics argue that the government is using the guise of combating “fake news” to justify censorship. As history has shown, however, those in power today could soon find themselves on the receiving end of these very laws.

For now, Pakistan’s free press and civil society remain under siege.

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