After National Assembly, controversial Peca tweaks sail through Senate amid ruckus

• Rana Tanveer Hussain floats Peca bill in Upper House. 
• Journalists also walk out of the Senate gallery.
• Wali says it's draconian law as it imposes restrictions.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday approved the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) (Amendment) Bill 2025 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill 2024, aimed at creating a digital society, economy and governance, amid commotion by the opposition benches.

The Peca bill was floated by Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain in the Upper House of Parliament.

Hussain said the Peca bill was aimed at dealing with the issues on social media. He assured it was not directed against the journalists of television and newspapers.

The minister said the opposition was also engaged on the bill through the platforms of standing committees of both the National Assembly and the Senate.

On the Peca tweaks, ANP’s Aimal Wali said it was a draconian law as it imposed restrictions on freedom of speech. "The bill smells of boots," he said, announcing to walk out from the House with other members of his party.

On the other hand, journalists also walked out of the Senate gallery as the bill was presented for approval.

Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz said it was their job to legislate, however, the law was being passed without consultation. "They should have consulted those concerned with the Peca amendment bill."

JUI-F member Kamran Murtaza said the standing committee report presented in the house was incomplete as his proposed amendments to the Peca Act were neither rejected nor accepted by the committee.

Hussain said if something was missing in the bill then they would make an amendment regarding journalists. “What law is implemented in its true form and not misused?”

Faraz said the bill’s procedure was not right as no stakeholder was incorporated in it. Therefore, he further said, they did not back it.

"Neither an organisation is formed nor a judge is appointed for the cases [under it]," he added.

PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar took the government to task for not allowing anyone to speak on the controversial bill. “You give no importance to the opposition,” he added.

Faraz rose up from his seat, while opposition members gathered before the Senate deputy chairman’s dice.

Meanwhile, the Digital Nation Pakistan bill tabled by Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar was also approved clause-wise.

The motion for the Digital bill was approved, ignoring the opposition’s demand to speak on it.

In his remarks, Tarar said the bill was aimed at digitising the whole system to align with the modern day requirements.

JUI-F's Murtaza proposed the amendments to the bill, saying the bill was an interference in provinces' jurisdiction. His proposed amendments were rejected after they were opposed by the law minister.

Faraz joined the PTI senators expressing resentment over legislation as the PTI and ANP members staged a protest before the chairman’s dice.

The leader of the opposition said they were "bulldozing the bills".

Upon Senator Falak Naz Chitrali’s bitter remarks to the Senate secretary, the deputy chairman warned her that he would take action against her if she did not go back to her seat. To which, Chitrali said he was threatening her.

Press freedom movement

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt said it was a black day for Pakistan’s democracy, media, citizen’s freedoms and freedom of speech.

"This day will always be remembered as a black day and the parties who played their part in getting this black law approved, we will keep reminding them of this.

"We have already announced staging protests from the PFUJ and Joint Action Committee (JAC) and today they have pushed us to protest even more," he said.

Butt said they thought that parliament would listen to them, so they wrote them letters and appealed to give them a chance for a hearing as they were stakeholders but they did not know why the government didn’t find it fit to speak on it.

"This is not a protest but the start of the press freedom movement. This will continue till this black law is withdrawn,” he said.

“We have formed teams on both fronts, one we will fight our war on roads, and the other in front of the Parliament House and the press gallery. Our second battle will be a constitutional battle in the courts for that we are consulting lawyers. We will challenge this and we will keep resisting till this black law is taken back.”

On the PFUJ’s appeal, he said, a black day is being observed almost throughout the country today (Tuesday), including Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore and Islamabad.

“Demonstrations will begin at 3pm and last till evening,” he said.

He added that today is just the start and they would announce the next course of action tomorrow (Wednesday), while the protests would be held on a daily basis.